Reborn Encounters - The Boy Who Became a Time Guardian
by TempoTechStudios
Summary: On one normal day, a young boy named Nolan is suddenly taken away from his home and enters what seems to be another realm. In this world, he meets a group of people on their way to defeat someone known as the Dark Djinn; however, Nolan realizes that he has his own battle to fight. Join him on his journey through another world as he does what he can to save both his and theirs.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, all my fellow humans! I'm back, more experienced and excited as ever! Now that I've learned the ways of writing, my stories can be much better than they werebefore. Take this one, for instance...

 _ **Chapter 1**_

 _ **"Rebirth"**_

( **One Fine Morning - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

The blazing sun shined over the peaceful town of Derelyn. The residents were all over the place, encumbered by groceries, taking their children to the restaurants, and trying not to be late for work. One boy in particular could be seen running along the sidewalks, toward the bakery. He pushed through the smooth wooden doors and ran to the counter. "Hello Mr. Joe!" A middle-aged man wearing glasses turned around to face the excited boy.  
"Well, hi there, Nolan. How's it going?"  
"Very well, sir!" He leaned over the counter. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"  
"It sure is! Glad you're enjoying it, my boy." Nolan nodded, smiling. "Oh, and I've got your order. Gimme just a second."  
"Okay," he said as Mr. Joe walked into the kitchen. Nolan was a twelve year old boy with windswept black hair and blue-green eyes. He was wearing his favorite outfit, a green dress shirt with khakis. Today was a very special day, and he wanted to dress nice, but casually. Mr. Joe came out of the kitchen, and was holding glass cover over a red velvet cake glazed with a good amount of cream cheese icing. Nolan said "Wow, it looks so delicious!" Mr. Joe chuckled.  
"Made by the best bakers in town! I hope you enjoy, my dear boy."  
"Thank you Mr. Joe!" Mr. Joe rested the plate in Nolan's arms as the boy started to walk away.  
"No problem, Nolan!" He turned around to tend to the display case. Nolan walked out of the bakery and onto the sidewalk. Looking to both his right and left, he crosses the street and heads up the road, to his house.

* * *

( **Music:** **Off** )

* * *

 _In this world, joy_ _is a virtue accessible to many. If that shall be the case... then why does the latter not apply to me? Pity... these fools do not know what immortality can do to the heart. This boy... he is the only thing keeping me from showing these mortals_ _ **true**_ _pain. He will try to stop me... He cannot be allowed to see the day. He must be disposed of at once. Find him... and kill him._

Nolan finally reached his house, a two-story tall brick building with a shingled roof. The boy's shoes crunched the rocks of his gravel path to the stairs. He set the cake down on the ground, and opened the door. His mother's voice greeted him.  
"Welcome back, sweetie," she said in her English accent.  
"Hi Mom!" Nolan took off his shoes and placed them near the wall. He grabbed the cake from the porch and walked inside. He placed the cake on the table his mother was sitting at. "So, is Dad still asleep?"  
"I would assume so. Maybe you could go wake him up for me?"  
"Sure thing Mom!" He ran upstairs.  
"And thank you for getting the cake!" Nolan nodded, though his mother probably couldn't see. He walked down to the end of the hallway and knocked on his father's door. He could hear snoring on the other side. He knocked a bit louder. A voice could be heard from the other side.  
"Oh, is it morning _already?"  
_ "Dad, it's _been_ morning!"  
"Okay, I'll be up in a bit..." Nolan hear a yawn from the room, followed by the sound of springs in motion. Nolan turned around, and happened to look out the window, seeing something he'd never seen before. Something red was falling from the sky- it was as if they were crimson snowflakes. Nolan ran downstairs to tell his mother about it.  
"Mom, I just saw these red things falling from the sky. Come and see!" At this, his mom got up from her chair, looking very concerned.  
"What?"  
"It's nothing bad, just come and see it!" said Nolan. His mother nodded as he led her up the stairs. They both gazed upon the falling crystals.

* * *

( **Tension - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

"Nolan, I need you to get to your room."  
"What's wrong?"  
"Nolan, you need to hurry! Now!" Nolan opened his mouth to object, but heeded his mother's words. He ran into his room. His mother came after him, holding her hand on the brass doorknob. "Now, I will close this door. If you hear anything, please... don't say _anything._ Know that I will always love y-" Before she could finish her sentence, a crash could be heard at the front door. Wood could be seen flying into the staircase. "Goodbye, my son." She shut the door on the confused Nolan. He could hear shouts and yelling. He heard his father's door open before hearing what sounded like a round of gunshots. The house shook as an explosion was heard outside. Nolan looked out his window and gasped. The sky and everything below had become grey, with the exception of the people living in the town. They didn't seem to notice anything as shadows swept across the Residential Area. The silhouettes seemed to be harming the residents, as they all started to yell in pain. Some of them feinted, while others ran around the area in confusion and fear. Nolan was almost too busy looking at the scene to notice a beam of light shining down on the middle of the Town Square. When he saw it, he turned to the door. He tried to open it, but it was locked. He unlocked it, but remembered what his mother said. He tried to lock it again, but nothing happened. He felt nudging on the knob, like someone was trying to get in. He quickly ran to the window and opened it. He heard the click of the fully turned knob. In a flash, he jumped out of the window, landing on the rose bush in his yard. He hid behind it while looking out at the streets. He felt as if the grass was completely dry, even though it had been very recently watered. The bush itself seemed to have lost all color. The once bright roses were now grey and dry. He had no idea what was going on, but thought he could find refuge in the neighboring city of Lyscon. Though it was very loud and the people there weren't the nicest, it would still be better than what Nolan experienced now. It then dawned on him that the giant beam of light could do something to help him out. To him, it was a beacon of hope, and the only thing that could help him escape this nightmare.

* * *

( **Music: Off** )

* * *

So yep, there's the first chapter of this. It feels good to finally be making these again. It's time to get back into the swing of things. So, I'll be uploading the next chapter really soon. Sorry to leave off on a bit of a cliffhanger, but hey- it won't be long. So I'll see y'all later! Thanks for taking the time to read this, and have an awesome day!


	2. Chapter 2 Another World

Welp, looks like I'm already going to post this next chapter. It was fun making the last one, to be honest. So without further ado, I eagerly present

 _ **Ch**_ ** _apter 2_**

 ** _"An Alternate Realm"_**

( **Foreboding Omen - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

Nolan crept to the right from behind the bush, easing along the wall of his home. The crimson snow was still falling. Nolan saw many shadows moving around, and wanted to steer clear of them. Nobody in the neighborhood seemed to be conscious, making this a bit more difficult. When he got to the corner, he shifted his body to the right, and continued on. He felt something strange in the air. He looked around a bit until he saw a shadow advancing toward him.

* * *

( **Music: Off** )

* * *

His legs instantly locked, and he fell to the ground, seemingly paralyzed. He closed his eyes. _Please, just go away..._ he thought. _Leave me alone..._ He didn't feel pain as he thought he would. He heard nothing but silence. He didn't want to open his eyes, but he knew he'd have to at some point. A full minute of silence and dread passed as the boy slowly opened his eyes. He saw no shadows. He lifted his head and looked down where his feet were. The shadow from before was also gone. The boy slowly stood up. The snow had stopped falling, though there were still crystals in the air; however, they were motionless. Nothing seemed to be moving at all. Not even the few shadows he could still see. The boy slowly inched along the hedges around the other houses until he realized that everything had frozen. He slowly edged away from the hedge, walking toward the light. He then remembered his home. He turned back and ran for his house, but couldn't seem to go any further. There was a strange force keeping him back. He tried going around it, but the whole street seemed to be blocked. After a few minutes of trying to get past, he couldn't seem to get to his house. He didn't know where his parents were anymore, or what happened to the area. He decided to call out. "Hello? Can anyone here me?" There was no answer. This troubled the poor boy, as he was now lost without a soul to guide him. The only option left for him was to go to the light. He sighed as he plodded down the street, looking back at the house he thought he'd never see again. He took a right at his current road, and then took a left at the next intersection. He took another left at this street, finally entering the town square.

* * *

( **The Eye of the Storm - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

Nolan found himself gazing into the massive pillar of light. He slowly walked toward it and stopped about three yards away. He was mesmerized by the glimmering beam in the dull area. He took a step forward, hearing no sound from the ground. He felt a piercing gaze on his shoulders. He reluctantly took another step forward. He realized he wasn't alone. He barely took another step. He was five feet away from the light, but he felt like someone wanted him to do this. The situation was too convenient. He called out: "Who's out there? What do you want from me?". No response. "I SAID, 'WHAT DO YOU WANT?!'" There was an answer.  
" _I want you to know the truth."_ Nolan gasped, then proceeding to look around.  
"Who's there?"  
 _"I am not a priority. But you, however... must go..."  
_ "I want to go back home! What have you done to my parents? My family?"  
 _"Step forward if your elders are whom you seek..."_ Suddenly, a wall of dark mist appeared behind him, and a group of shadows stood at the opposite road of the square.  
"I-" Nolan realized he had nothing to fight back with. "Fine. This had better not be a trick..."  
 _"But where else do you have to go?"_ The voice chuckles to himself. Nolan walks to the pillar of light, and reaches his hand into the warm substance. He slowly walks in, but turns around before his full body is enveloped.  
"Wait, what's with the snow? What's with the shado-" The rest of the light covers the boy before he can finish; however, the last thing he could see was a shrouded dark figure walking toward him.

* * *

( **Mighty Magic - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

Nolan felt absolutely nothing as his eyes were filled with the reoccurring sight of white and gold. He didn't know where he was or what was happening. He tried to move forward, thinking he was still in Derelyn, but everything started swirling around. The boy closed his eyes, as the movement made him nauseous. He had no idea what was going on as he heard the whirring of the wind. He didn't dare look around as he still heard the sound. He was scared of what was going to happen after he heard what the dark figure had to say. The boy took a deep breath, and found the air very rich in oxygen. He welcomed fresh air into his nostrils as he slowly opened his eyes. He felt his feet leave the ground as he saw the light move faster. It spun around him at the speed of- well, light. He became calm as he felt the joyous warmth soothe his skin. He bathed in the radiance, closing his eyes. He felt his left pocket become heavier as he hovered above the ground. He was filled with sensation as he slowly descended, his feet resting on what felt to him like grass. He opened his eyes as the light slowly faded. What he saw was unlike anything he had seen before.

* * *

( **Another World (Field Theme) - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

(Point of View Change: Nolan Smith)

* * *

I looked around the area, for it was a true sight to behold. I was in a vast landscape, covered in miles of grass and dirt. The wide plains ended at a large forest harboring a great number of trees, along with the natural wildlife growing in it. In the distance I saw what looked like one of the castle towns you'd hear about in stories. Surrounding the area were mountains unlike any other- even they were filled with many shades of their color. I didn't know where I was, but I enjoyed what I saw. I could not help but look up at the beautiful sky, the soft clouds- I could stand there forever... but I was in an unknown area. I could not just sit there and do nothing. I had to- I had... I didn't know what I could do. Evidently, I was nowhere near home. The most I could do was explore the area; and so I did. The grass was taller than what I had experienced at home. It tickled my fingers as I walked across. My walking turned into a slow jog. The sweet smell of grass filled the air as I enjoyed one of nature's greatest gifts. I eventually found myself stopping at a wide river filled with the clearest water you ever did see. I dipped my hand in the moving current, the cool water trickling past my fingers. I lifted my hand from the river and looked over the horizon. I saw that the castle town had appeared closer than before. There didn't seem to be a way to get there at the time... and so I searched for a bridge. I walked along the riverbed, keeping an eye out for anything that would allow me to cross. Soon, the forest blocked the view of the town. I then realized that the woods were actually very close to the river. _This must be why the wildlife here is so plentiful!_ I thought. I decided to find a way into the forest instead of my current mission. I soon found a trail of rocks across the river. I saw no other way to get to the other side, and so I attempted to hop along them. I got halfway across the river and immediately stopped. The river flowed to my left, and I saw no end to that path. If I could not escape from the river, I would be stuck for ages... but if I fell to the right, I would be caught by the rocks when the river swept be away. I would be able to get back up; and so I leaned to the right as I walked across the stones. To my surprise, I never fell. I was at the other side of the river! I pumped my fist in the air, acknowledging my accomplishment. After my short moment of victory, I walked toward the forest. I looked for a way in, for the prickly bushes made my job very difficult. I found an opening between two trees, and saw a path. I went down said trail, and entered The Glittering Grove.

* * *

( **Music: Off** )

* * *

Welp, there's Chapter 2 of our story! Now, if you're wondering, no, this isn't the Summerlands- he isn't in Ni No Kuni _yet_. This is a bit different- but you'll find out more about the area in Chapter 3! I hope you enjoyed this one as well as the last. Now I wish that you'd all enjoy _your_ days. Bye!


	3. Chapter 3 Is this Magic?

Welp, I've decided, now that school's over for me, that I'll post a chapter of my fanfiction every single day. Yep, you heard right- Every. Single. Day. I hope you enjoy all I have to offer, for this, I can tell, will be my biggest project yet. I'm not stopping till it's over. All of my ideas are locked in, and it's time to write. So sit back, relax, grab a cuppa tea or summat like dat- it's time for

 _ **Chapter 3**_

 _ **"What Sorcery is This!?"**_

( **Labyrinth - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

(Point of View: Nolan Smith)

I surveyed the greenery that surrounded me as I entered the grove. The area was silent, with the exception of the ruffling leaves, chirping crickets, and croaking frogs. I stared in awe at all the different fruits around the area. I looked at all the bushes, trying to see if I could figure out what type of berries they grew. I searched my pocket for my classification chart- I couldn't find it. I dug further in my pocket, looking for the missing book, and found it. I pulled it out; however, it was not the book I was looking for. This was not my classification chart. This book had a strange design on the cover page, and was bound together by what seemed like golden thread, I tried to pry it open, but to no prevail. It seemed to be glued shut. I pulled harder, but nothing happened. I decided to give up and put the book back in my pocket. Since I couldn't tell the difference between the many different berries, I left the bushes alone. I moved on, guided by the sunlit path. I heard loud ruffling in some bushes, as if something was there; of course, I disregarded it, for I was awestruck by the natural beauty around me. As I advanced through the forest, I was greeted by more and more trees, each shading me from the sun a tiny bit more. Soon, I had very little light , and the path was barely visible. I felt a nearby presence as I moved along. As I entered the deepest part of the forest, I found myself unable to see- but then I saw a faint glow to my left, along with another sound I couldn't describe. I inched closer to the glow, but it disappeared further into the undergrowth. I followed it, pushing past the bushes and shrubs, and doing my best to not be pricked by the occasional thorns. I saw the light once more, and reached out to it. It flew through a path to the right. I could've sworn I heard the flapping of wings... I ran after the blue light, but in time, I could no longer see. I collided with the trunk of a tree, falling flat on my back. The stinging pain prevented me from getting back up as I slowly closed my eyes... I saw complete blackness... and then nothing at all.

* * *

( **Imajinn - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

I woke up in a wide, dimly lit section of the forest. I lifted my head up to look around. I didn't seem to recognize the area. I got up, but winced at a pain in my back. I heard more flapping around me. I looked around. I was surprised to see, to my right, a line of strange creatures, all carrying different fruit. They had the appearances of bears, but their eyes were looking in opposite directions, they seemed to have wings, and their foreheads had the same strange symbol on them. I stared in awe as I saw them all drop fruit beside me. Each time they did so, they seemed to nod to something in the direction of the giant tree in the middle of the area. I looked toward it and saw a bigger version of the bears, suspended in the air by the branches. He looked fairly kind for his size. I scratched my head, confused by everything going on. The bear pointed at one of the fruits. I looked at the fruit pile, and back at him. I shrugged. He pointed again to the pile. I looked at the pile and then back at him. I asked, "I can have one?" To my surprise, he nodded. Though I didn't necessarily trust the group of bears, I sat down and ate one of the apples. It was _much_ sweeter than the ones we sold at the farmer's market in town. I finished it in less than two minutes, the bears all watching me as I did so. The biggest bear nodded at me, smiling. I smiled back.

* * *

( **Miasma Marshes - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

I was going to take another fruit when I heard rustling in the giant tree. I saw something start falling on top of the tree and the bear. I instantly recognized it- _crimson snow._ The tree started to wither, and the branches the bear sat on snapped. The bear fell flat on his face. I put the apple core down, and I ran over to help him up. "Are you alright?" I asked. No response. I shook him. "C'mon, wake up!" He didn't move an inch. I saw he had a bruise on his head, and assumed there were more elsewhere. I turned around and tried to look for some herbs that could possibly help him out; almost as soon as I left his side, I heard a low growl behind me. Before I could turn around, I saw a red light shine on the grass around me. All of the little bears stared behind me in fear. I slowly turned around and gasped, falling back from surprise. The bear has arisen, yes, but this time his pupils were very small, and he slightly glowed red. I scrambled to my feet and moved back. I heard frantic running behind me, and quickly looked back. The bears were all gone. I looked back at the one in front of me. His teeth were bared. I had no idea what to do, so I did the first thing that came to mind. I picked up a stick. "Please, leave me alone!" I said. The bear backed away and I sighed in relief. He, however, clawed an outline into the tree and pulled off a piece of bark in that exact shape- the shape of a large double-sided ax. I backed up, heading toward the dark path to the rest of the woods. The bear's wood ax became enveloped in a purple light that almost instantly faded. I gasped at the sight. The ax was completely black with glowing purple outlines, and what looked like a red eye at the center. I then realized that the back of the bear's hands also had designs that looked like open eyes. I had no idea what this creature had become- I just wanted to escape.

* * *

( **Battle - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

Before I could make it to the path, the bear lunged at me, forcing me to jump to my right. I fell to my belly as he turned around. He swung his ax down as I rolled over to my left to dodge it. I quickly got up, immediately stumbled over a twig. The bear swung horizontally as I fell at the right moment. I got up, moved back, steadied my hand, and launched the stick I held. It hit the bear square in the nose- it didn't seem to hurt him, as he only seemed to become angrier. I ran out of the way of a series of swings with the ax. I ran to the tree, far away from him. He saw this, and _threw_ the ax in my direction. I leaped to the left, the blade missing me by an inch. He ran to the tree, and simply pulled the weapon out of the trunk. My heart was racing faster than it ever had before. The bear gave a loud roar as the red mist around him grew bigger. He seemed to almost glide toward me, swinging the ax upward. I attempted a cartwheel to the right when he swung the blade back down. He missed as I landed on my right arm, falling to the ground. I felt tremendous pain in said arm due to my failed cartwheel. The bear raised his ax once more, ready to swing down. I couldn't move as he swung. At that exact moment I heard a crack and saw a light above me, coming from the bear's face. The ax hadn't seemed to hit me yet. I slowly got up and saw something rush past me. The surrounding air vibrated as the figure rammed into the bear. I fell down again from the sudden movement. I sat up to see something flying over the fallen bear. It was one of the little bears- except, this one had what looked like a blue cape around it, held up by a ring that harbored what looked like the same blue orb I saw earlier. It wore shorts fastened by a belt with a golden buckle, and also had on black shoes. This bear held a small sword in its paw as its other paw was filled with some sort of light. The giant bear got up and swung its ax at the little one. The cub held his sword against the ax, somehow holding it back. He then flipped over the ax, allowing it to continue its swing. The big bear fell forward from the sudden change in force. The cub held its light-filled paw up in the air as an orb grew in it. The giant bear got up, obviously enraged, and reached for the small creature. The little bear, however, sliced at the superior's paw, making him draw his paw back. The cub launched his sword at the big bear's occupied paw, making him drop the ax. He then threw an orb of light, which had become the same size as him, at the big bear's face. I saw nothing but light. The light faded and the bulky bear fell to the ground unconscious. There was a moment of silence.

* * *

( **Drippy - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

The cub finally slid his sword into a strapped opening on the side of his shorts and descended onto the ground. He walked toward me and then flew up into the air, hovering around me. He seemed to be examining my appearance until he landed next to my left pocket. He pulled out the small book from before and gave it to me. I shrugged. "I don't know how to open it." He scratched his head for a second, looking at the ground, and then disappeared into the treetops. "Hey, wait!" I got up, but couldn't see him. He flew back down holding a ripped page of some sort. He held it out. I cocked my head to the side as I took it. It was titled "Restoration". It had a strange shape on it, almost like a rune. I shrugged once more and he took it. He picked up a stick and drew the shape in the air. I could faintly see the shape floating in the air, like an illuminated white mist. He finished the shape as the mist disappeared in the same directions he drew it in. It finally connected to the stick as the tip of the wood glowed turquoise. I was bewildered by what I was seeing. Suddenly, the book I had left my hands and just floated in the air. I took a step back. "Wh- what?" The book started to spin as it glowed the same color as the stick. I could not comprehend what was taking place at the moment. This made no sense at all... my thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a growing book. It grew to the size of a textbook, and I could now see that there was a lock on it. I took it from the air and saw the bear fly into the trees once more. He came back with another page and gave it to me, along with the stick. The page was titled "Unfasten." I put the book down. "I have to draw this, right? Is it going to unlock this lock, or something?" He nodded. I slowly traced this design in the air. The mist from the design retraced itself, colliding with the stick. I felt the wood vibrate beneath my fingers as the book lifted off of the ground and the lock clicked. "What sorcery _is_ this?!" The straps connected to said lock disconnected from the main piece, and the book fell to the ground. The stick became still as all of the glowing ceased. I picked the book up and opened it. It seemed there were many pages ripped out of it. The pages I could see had pictures of more runes, maps, classification charts, information on different cultures, and a few pictures of some strange creatures. I saw a picture of the bear cub, titled "Tedderp". So that was his- well, their names. A few pictures down was a picture of the bear I recently fought. He was called "Ursarage"- I could see why. I sat down and looked at the book for a long period of time as Tedderp just watched me. I couldn't understand most of the words in it, as they seemed to be in some other language, and so the pictures were pretty much the only thing guiding me. In one of the maps was a picture of the very forest I was in. It was called The Glittering Grove. The exit was on the other side of this clearing, called the Great Tree. That must have been why the tree was so big... but it was still grey from the snow. Something was definitely up with those crystals, and I needed to find out what. But first, I needed to go find refuge in Tonitruid, the castle town, before it got dark. Unfortunately for me, there were no pages in my book describing a path out of the forest. After all, I had no idea how I got to this part of it anyway. I closed my book as it shrunk once more. I gasped as it became the size of my hand. I was worried I'd have to draw another rune to enlarge it, but I put it in my pocket anyway. I had more important things to deal with. I needed to reach Tonitruid and get some rest. I looked around for another way out, but Tedderp interrupted me by tugging on my pant leg. I looked down at him. "What is it?" He pointed to an opening in the trees to our right. "I forgot that path was there!" I said. I headed in the direction of the path as the other Tedderps came out of their hiding places and waved to me, along with the one I just met. I waved back, yelling "Bye! Thanks for everything!" I said. I walked through the path, satisfied with my new knowledge. The path seemed to be lit up a bit more, and I could actually see where I was going. Little did I know, this wasn't natural light.

* * *

( **Music: Off** )

* * *

And so ends the third chapter of our story. Now, if you're wondering why Nolan still hasn't reached the world of Ni No Kuni, you'll need to be patient, as it'll take awhile. Just sit back and relax. But anyway, this chapter is done, and I hope you enjoyed it! As always, I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your day, and keep being awesome!


	4. Chapter 4 Who is Odin?

Time for the fourth chapter of our story, where young Nolan will be heading to Tonitruid, the Town of Divine Grace. If you read the last chapter, you'll know that something's up with the crimson snow that Nolan had seen throughout the day. It seems to corrupt the wildlife around it, both taking away its former beauty and sometimes destroying it. Soon, the boy will have to find out where the source of this snow is and put and end to it. But before that, he'll have to first take some time to figure out just what is going on.

 _ **Chapter 4**_

 _ **"Electricity? In a Castle Town?"**_

( **Another World (Field Theme) - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

(Point of View: Nolan Smith)

I finally exited the Glittering Grove and found myself gazing upon a large beach. At the end of it was a large river, and on the other side was a volcano and more mountains. I took out my book to see where I was. To my surprise, it grew to normal size, allowing me to open it. As I flipped through the pages, I saw that the ripped pages I obtained earlier had connected to their rightful areas in my book. _What a strange book..._ I thought. I ignored the fact and flipped to the map. I was in the central area of the Northern Isles, right next to the Ashen Sand, the beach right next to me. To get to Tonitruid, I needed to head to the right of the Glittering Grove. I closed the book and it conveniently shrunk, allowing me to put it back in my pocket. I ran around the Glittering Grove until the town was in sight. "I'm almost there!" I breathed. Just then, something else caught my eye. I saw, to my right, a giant tower reaching up to the heavens. It was closer to me than the town was, so I ran to it. In a matter of time, I reached a massive double door held up by a short staircase. I sat down on the stairs to catch my breath. I examined my surroundings. There didn't seem to be anything but grass and the sky. I looked at the mountains and saw what looked like a giant figure. I couldn't make out what it was, but I knew that it was moving. It was as if it were some sort of giant. I looked back in my book for reference, and found an entry on what was called an Ambimajor. The term referred to any large creature that roamed the lands of Neo Chroniveria, which, apparently, was where I was. Ambimajors were usually found in areas that didn't have many human beings in them. These creatures helped shape the world as everyone knew it. Without them, nothing would be the same; therefore, they should be treated with the utmost respect. I nodded to myself. "So the people here also respect wildlife like we do. I think I could get used to this." I got up and put my book away. I started walking toward the castle town once more, but this time my path was intercepted.

* * *

( **Battle - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

A flying creature wearing a shaman mask held two blades at its side. I said, "Hey, look, I don't want any trouble. I'm just passing by." The creature swung its blades around itself, entering what looked like a battle stance. I reached in my pocket for my book, but the creature swung at me before I could get it. I then pulled it out quickly and got a long stick from my other pocket. I opened my book to the page that had the runes on it. The creature swung both blades at me again, but I dodged them. I found a page titled "Splash". I held up my stick and drew the rune, and just in time to dodge another attack. The rune retraced itself as a raging current of water appeared from nowhere, knocking the creature onto the ground and wetting the grass. While my enemy was down, I flipped to the page describing the creatures of this world. I found an entry that called this creature the Mojo Musketeer. It used its daggers to devastate its opponents, and would finish them off with an energy beam. It seemed to be weak to water-based attacks. I drew the splash rune once more, knocking him out with a final wave. I saw a blue aura surrounding it, and looked back on the creature page. The only other thing it said was that this was a tamable ambidweller(ambidweller is the name given to the creatures of Neo Chroniveria). I looked through my book for a way to tame it and found a spell called "Subdue." I cast the rune as the Mojo Musketeer disappeared, entering my book. I felt rumbling from within the book, and it turned itself to the last page. A picture of Mojo Musketeer's appeared inside of a small card that fastened itself in my book. The book closed itself and shrunk.

* * *

( **Victory Fanfare I - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

"Well, it looks like I won." I felt a rush of energy in my body. I felt stronger than I had before I fought, and now I felt ready to properly battle. I put my book away and took a moment to catch my breath. I then headed onward, toward Tonitruid.

* * *

( **Music: Off** )

* * *

I finally made it to the front gates of the massive town. Beyond them I could see countless houses and buildings, but none larger than the giant castle in the middle of town. There were two armored men guarding the gate. They both held spears. I started to step forward, but they both blocked all entrance. One of them looked down at me from beneath his helmet. "State your business, child." he said in a deep voice.  
"I am here to rest."  
"To rest, you say?"  
"Yes, I have been exploring the area, and came to the realization that I need to take a moment to relax. I have nowhere else to sleep." The other man examined me and then spoke.  
"You're not from around here, are you?"  
"No," I responded, "how could you tell?" The guard answered "Because your clothes are nowhere near similar to the garments produced in this town. If you don't want people to look at you funny, you'll need to get a new outfit. Go check in at the Outfitters and get more casual attire. Here." He gave me a ticket reading "Get 1 free outfit". I looked up at him and nodded. "Thank you, sir." The guard nodded and stepped aside. "May Odin guide you." he said. I walked into the town, with one thought on my mind. _Odin?_

* * *

( **Ding Dong Dell (The Cat King's Castle) - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

I finally made it to the town. There didn't seem to be any streets here- it really _was_ a castle town. My face brighten as I finally saw many people around me. It was a charming place, to say the least. Everyone seemed very friendly, but most looked at me like I was some sort of clown. "Now, where would the outfitters be..." I asked myself. I felt tugging at my right pant leg and looked down. I jumped back in surprise to see the same Tedderp from before hovering right next to me. He pointed to a path under an arch. "Is that where I'll find it?" I asked. He nodded. I nodded back, and he guided me through. I took out my book to see if I could learn a bit more about Tonitruid, but I remembered that the other pages were missing. I instead held the book in my arm in case I would need it again. Tedderp led me to a small shop that had the shape of a cap, the visor being the staircase. I knocked on the door and walked in. There was a woman inside, sorting clothes near the back of the room. She heard the jingling of the door chime as I walked in, and immediately swooped to the front desk. She smiled as she looked over me. "You are in need of new attire, I presume?" I nodded.  
"Yes ma'am. It was recommended that I wore something more native to this area, and so I came here." I held out my ticket. She gladly took it and led me to the back of the store.  
"There is a wide selection of different outfits for you to wear. Pick which ever you'd like, and please take your time." I nodded to her.  
"I will, thank you." I looked over all of the clothes as she went back to the front desk. One set of garments caught my eye. It was a woolen red sweater and a blue silk cape. I asked the woman at the desk if I could have the outfit. She checked it over and then nodded. "The dressing room is over to your right." She pointed to a door to her left.  
"Thank you, ma'am." I said, walking into the room.

I came out of the room with my new outfit on. I wore the same khakis as before, but this time I had on a red sweater and a cape instead of my green dress shirt. I had folded my green shirt and put it inside of a seemingly bottomless bag that came with my new outfit. The woman looked delighted as she said "That style really suits you, young man. You look almost like one of our good wizards!" I blushed a bit. "Me? A wizard? But I'm just a normal boy."  
"Oh, dear child, it was but an expression!" she said, laughing a bit. I chuckled slightly. "Feel free to come back if you are in need of a new outfit," she said as I walked out the door. "Thanks again!" I called. I walked out the doors and into the town. It was now sunset, meaning I had gotten here just in time. Tedderp was waiting for me at the arch. I ran over to him, asking "You know a place where I can get some sleep?" He nodded and guided me once more through the arch. He led me through another arch on my right, and up a staircase. There was a short hill here, and atop it was a building with the picture of some sort of candy on it. It was called the "Sweet Dreams Inn." I knocked on the doors before walking in. We were greeted by a kind man in a tuxedo. "Welcome to our wonderful place of rest. Will you be staying the night?"He asked. I nodded and walked forward. "How much do I have to pay?" I asked him. He responded, "Normally, it would cost $5 to stay for one night, but this week, it's free to sleep here. Here, I will give you a room." He got up from his desk and took a set of keys from a drawer. The man then escorted Tedderp and I to a hallway, and gave me a room to the left, near the beginning of said hall. "Thank you," I said. He bowed, giving me the keys and closing the door. I looked in the bathroom to see that there was already a brand new toothbrush there for me to use. I brushed my teeth, put on my nightwear, and got into bed. Tedderp sat by the windowsill as the moon started to rise. I tucked myself in the covers and fell asleep, thinking about my day.

* * *

( **Jingle Five (Cat's Cradle) - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

( **Music: Off** )

* * *

Welp, there's chapter four. Nolan has finally made it to Tonitruid, the Town of Divine Grace. He has gotten a new outfit, along with more knowledge of this strange world. Now, the next chapter will not be released until at least Thursday, for I'll be visiting distant family, and there is no internet at their house. So, until then, I'll be enjoying time with them. Stay tuned for the next chapter, as it shouldn't be long until I post it. As always, enjoy your day, and keep being awesome!


	5. Chapter 5 The True Shade of Gold

So, I'm finally back, guys! It _has_ been awhile, I must say- however, I'm now ready to finish up some more chapters of my story! It seems I've also got some reviews! Now, I'm going to do something I've seen another writer do- I'm going to give my response to these reviews at the beginning of each chapter. How about we start right now?

 **forgotmypassword: Thanks! I did this to help set the mood for each scene. It'll help change everyone's views toward what's going on, giving that much more life to my stories. I'm glad you liked my idea!**

 **theLittleKawaiiPen: I'm happy to finally get some reviews! I'm honored that you took the time to read my story. Don't worry, there's more coming soon! I'll make this chapter longer than most others, just for you! (P.S. Your Ni No Kuni fanfiction's great! Keep up the great work!)**

Now that the introduction is done, it's time for

 _ **Chapter 5  
**_

 **"All Th** **at Glitters Isn't Gold** **"**

( **In Loving Memory of Allie - Ni No Kuni: Wr** **ath of the White Witch** )

 _"Good morning sweetie. Your breakfast is waiting for you on the table._ _" The little boy hugged his mother and ran into the dining room. His father was enjoying a cup of tea. "Well, g'morning son!" he said. The boy smiled as he ran to his dad, enveloped in his embrace. "Good morning Dad!"  
"Are you excited for the ceremony tonight?"  
"I sure am!" His father smiled ruffling the boy's hair.  
"Today's gonna be a special day, kiddo. A night to remember." he chuckled a bit.  
"I bet it will be! Even better than the last one!" The boy replied happily. His mother walked into the room, smiling.  
"Do you suppose it will be even better next year?"  
"Uh-huh!" His father then spoke.  
"What is it that you like most about the event?"  
"Getting to enjoy it with my family!" the boy said. At this, his parents smiled.  
"Then we shall always be with you during the Derelyn Festivals," his mother said,  
"and we'll make sure you have the time of your life!" his father finished. The boy hugged both of his parents once more. They smiled at their son, spe_ _aking in unison_ _. "Yes... this day_ _ **will**_ _be a night to remember... my Nolan." They both st_ _arted to disappear. The boy didn't notice until the warmth of their embrace was gone. He looked up and gasped, for what he saw were not his parents... but a lightning bolt hurling toward his head._

* * *

Nolan's eyes flew open as he got up. He smelled something burning, and looked around. He saw a small flame on the wall. He looked out of the window, but something was different. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. He then realized that the houses were orange. He was about to turn around to see what was going on when a flash of light suddenly spread throughout the whole town. "What's going _on_ out there?" he wondered. He got dressed and ran outside to investigate. He had forgotten about Tedderp; furthermore, Tedderp wasn't even _in_ the room that morning.

* * *

( **Boss Battle - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

(Point of View Change: Nolan Smith)

I ran out down the hallway and into the lobby- nobody was there. I sprinted out the door to be nearly blinded by another flash of light. I opened my eyes to see fire everywhere. The clouds above us were a very dark shade of grey, and I could hear rumbling thunder. I blinked once before I saw a ray of light fly across the rooftops. It seemed to be heading to the left of the Sweet Dreams Inn. I decided to head in that direction. I wondered where all of the citizens were. Had they all evacuated already? I hoped for the best as I ran down the cobblestone path. I felt a strong force of energy up ahead, and I had a feeling that it wasn't friendly. I took my stick from my pocket, ready to face whatever danger awaited me.

* * *

( **The Zodiarchs - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

I entered what looked like the town square- well, more like a circle. It was an open space surrounded by houses. In the middle was what was probably supposed to be a fountain; however, I couldn't tell as pieces of its stone structure had broken off, the remains of some houses had fallen onto it, and whatever water was in it must have evaporated. It also seemed to be lit up. _Wait a second..._ I looked up to see a very colorless, but bright light. The dull light grew bigger and bigger, until I could no longer see. I tried to move, but my legs were glued to the ground. The light faded after a few seconds, and in the source's place was a strange figure. He wore a white silk robe lined with golden patterns. His right arm had a spiral around it. The spiral ended in a crystal orb that he held in his right hand. In his other hand was what looked like a staff- the type fictional Sorcerers would use. The bottom of the staff seemed to be a simple sharp point, but the top was more detailed. It was carved in the shape of a hawk. This hawk had a glowing red orb in its mouth, both generating electricity. I looked at the figure's face. It turned out to be a mask- or maybe a helmet? The black mask had the shape of a bird's head. Its eyes glowed blue, probably covering the figure's actual eyes. It was trimmed in gold as well. The figure gently descended, the staff stabbing into the ground. I stared at this strange person. "Wh-who are you?" His voice caught me off guard. He had a slight echo in his voice, which helped in the projection of his sentences.  
"I am this town's Guardian." I opened my mouth in shock. _He's here to help us out!_  
"So, sir, do you know who caused all of this destruction?" I asked. He nodded.  
"It was I who brought the carnage to this land."

My heart raced. He had destroyed his own town. I saw some of the townsfolk start to gather around the square. I called out to them. "You need to get out of here! It's not safe!" They seemed to ignore me as more of Tonitruid's residents joined the others. I was very confused. I turned to the Guardian. "Why are you doing this?" The figure stood still, speaking calmly, if his voice could even be called "calm".  
"This is righteous judgement for all the sins this town has committed. The entire area must be born anew." I stared in awe. How could any of this be right? "This is all wrong! You can't just-" one of the townspeople, probably a priest of some sort, interrupted me, bowing down to the figure.  
"Oh, Lord Odin, please pay the boy no mind... he has no place in our haven of light, and would surely not mean to say such things..." I suddenly felt strength welling up within me. I _knew_ that this could not continue, and that someone had to do something. I turned to a group of townspeople.  
"If _this_ is who you worship, you need to rethink your lives! I mean, really, what good comes out of burning this town? All this hard work... destroyed..." I looked down in disbelief as the priest gasped.

"You _dare_ question our savior's intentions?! You will face severe punishment for such actions!" Odin swiped his hand to his side.  
"Silence, mortal," he said as his staff started to glow, "I will take matters into my own hands." The priest ran away to join the others as Odin stabbed the staff into the ground, making a rune appear around its point. At that moment, I just remembered that I was battling an omnipotent being.

* * *

( **Shadar's Attack - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

Almost instantly, he pointed the staff at me, shooting a blue lightning bolt. I had to jump out of the way to dodge it. I got up, taking my book out of my pocket. I opened up to my spells as soon as it enlarged. I dodged another lightning bolt and drew the "Splash" rune. When the rune retraced itself, a wave splashed over Odin, but it didn't seem to affect him at all. I flipped through the book again until I found another spell. "Hasten." It said it could make whatever I focused on much faster. I was about to trace the rune when one of the lightning bolts struck me right in the face. I felt intense pain surging through my entire body as I flew through the air. I barreled through a group of townsfolk who instantly ran away.

I could barely get up, as I was far too shocked(quite literally) by the attack. I struggled to stand, and fell on my knee. I then realized something. I knew something that could speed up my recovery. I opened once more to the "Hasten" rune. I tried my best to trace the rune in the air. It wasn't perfect, but the mist shaped itself into place, which was convenient. The rune retraced itself as I felt a bit of relief. Odin seemed to be charging energy from within his staff. I now had the chance to attack him. I could now get up easily. I ran to him, but I didn't seem to go any faster. I then remembered that I focused on my injury, and not my actual speed. I quickly retraced the rune and ran around him, getting ready to attack. I lunged toward him with my stick pointed forward. That was when he swung his staff around him. He broke the stick, also knocking it out of my hand. I moved back just as a shockwave repeated his attack. I heard crackling behind me- my stick had just burned. I had no stick to perform spells with- the townspeople had kept their home so clean that even with all this destruction, no sticks could be found lying around.

I flipped through my book and found a different colored page. This one, unlike the others, was a strange shade of beige. It had a rune like the others, except this one had a red line instead of a blue one. It was titled "Rejuvenate." I traced the rune with my finger in hopes of bringing back my stick. Of course, my efforts were futile. Nothing happened. I turned around as everything almost seemed to slow down for me. I saw Odin swing his staff at me, a stream of light trailing behind the hawk. I held up my arms as if defending myself, though I knew I would get injured by the hit. To my surprise, I could actually hold him back. I didn't physically feel anything, but I knew that it must've been magic protecting me. I almost didn't want to open my eyes; however, when I did, I was both relieved and disappointed. I didn't hold Odin back with my own magic, but it seemed that Tedderp had once again come to my aid. He did his best to keep the staff out of my way. Odin's weapon glowed a bit, but I didn't react to it. I moved back in shock, but regained consciousness, and was about to strike him with my own fists. I stopped in my tracks when his staff threw Tedderp and his sword into a house wall. I held out my hand. "TEDDERP!" I yelled worriedly. Odin chuckled from beneath his mask.  
"This is the price to be payed for ignorance and disrespect such as your own." I now felt anger flowing through my entire body. I wasn't going to let this "Guardian" bully his people. I put my book into my pockect.

I called on all of my strength, the energy flowing into my fists.  
" _Disrespect? Oh, I'll_ _ **show**_ _you disrespect._ "I jumped into the air, Odin looking up at me. I gathered all of my energy into my hands as I clasped them together. " _Respect THIS!_ " I shouted, slamming my fists down upon Odin's mask. I heard cracking, but it definitely wasn't my bones. Odin grabbed his helmet, screaming in pain.  
"You... you imbecile! By the name of the Chronos, I will now unlock the power of the Void..." His mask glowed white for two seconds. I glared at the deity as the mask revealed itself to be a bloody crimson, trimmed with a darker gold from before. Odin's eyes both glowed red. "To deliver Divine Punishment!" I stood where I was, ready to take him on again. I was going to punch him again, but as I took my first step, I fell to the ground. I no longer had the strength to move; I had just used it all. Odin stepped forward, and was soon looming over me. Everything got blurry. _This is all just a dream... this isn't happening..._ Odin raised his staff into the air, his crystal ball vibrating intensely. It was all happening too fast. I struggled to breathe. I then realized that this _was_ the end. I couldn't even brace myself for the worst. My family... I'd never see them again. _Mom... Dad... I love you._ I was about to close my eyes and face my fate when I felt the need to keep them open.

* * *

( **Taking to the Skies - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

I saw something fly past, ramming into Odin and knocking him out of my peripheral vision. I couldn't even turn my head to find out what was going on. I was now completely lost. I had no idea what that thing was, or if it was even trying to help me. I was lifted off of the ground and pulled somewhere. I opened my mouth to tell whatever it was to let me go, but no words came out. I was rested against a hard, somewhat sturdy surface. It seemed something wanted to help me. I suddenly felt warmth rush through my body, the sensation then turning to ice. I got up, very shocked, as I shivered a bit. _Wait a second... I actually got up!_ I immediately looked around myself to find Tedderp- however, I was worried, as Odin was nowhere in sight. I took a step forward and looked around again. I saw the blue glint of an orb to my left. I ran to the house I saw the glint in. There I found Tedderp, laying unconscious on the side of a table. I picked him up and ran outside, hoping to find shelter somewhere. A thought came to my mind- The Sweet Dreams Inn! The problem was that I had forgotten which way it was. I ran to one winding path. I knew almost instantly that this one was wrong. I should've been able to see where the building was while still in the Town Square. I turned around and ran back to the fountain. Just as I got there, Odin reappeared, his robe now charred and his mask cracked. He looked angry, and I was worried. I took a step back, holding Tedderp tightly. "What did you do to my friend?!" Odin violently stabbed his staff into the ground as a golden rune appeared around both of us. His eyes glowed a bright red.

"It is as clear as day... the cub's soul is GONE!" I glared at him for a moment.  
"No. He's still breathing. His spirit is still intact."  
"You know _NOTHING_ , boy!"  
A beam of light from the staff shot up into the air, parting the clouds around it. I looked up to see that there was more lightning. I felt something singe the side of my hair. I stepped to the side and looked at it. It disappeared the second I laid eyes on it. It was nothing but light- _lightning._ Odin had gone completely mad... I called for some of the townsfolk to come help me, but no one came. I wondered where everyone was. My thoughts were interrupted by another lightning bolt. This one hit the fountain, making it explode behind the enraged Odin. "I am this world's Guardian..." He threw a lightning bolt at me, but I ducked to dodge it. "The Arbiter of their fates..." He held up his crystal ball and it cracked. Something started to pull me to him. "And Heir to the Throne of the Void!" This crystal ball had some serious power, I could already tell. I needed to destroy it, but how... It was as if my thoughts were heard by someone else. I saw some sort of humanoid machine slice the crystal ball in half. The orb exploded in black mist. The robot was engulfed in the blackness, and I moved back to avoid it. I wanted to help, but there was nothing I could do. I then saw another explosion. It seemed like the machine couldn't handle the mist, but could at least blow it all away. What I found strange was the fact that the machine was completely gone, and that there were no bits or pieces left of it. An orb floated above where the robot was, and a boy stood in the same spot. He had on a white lab coat, and wore glasses. His black hair was neat, and so were his shoes and khakis. He seemed like a normal person, like he couldn't have possibly lived here in Tonitruid. He took a remote out of his pocket, and clicked a button. The robot somehow came back. I stared in amazement as the bulky robot stood once more and gave Odin a death glare. The boy stood casually, looking down at the deity. "No... NO! YOU- YOU _SCOUNDRELS! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!_ " I sensed a hint of fear in his voice. I then heard a loud voice speak. It sounded familiar to me.

"You have allowed the Division Glass to be destroyed. What use will I have for you now? There is no point in me keeping you, as you no longer have a way to transfer these worthless souls to the Void." It was the same voice I heard when I was leaving my home. I remembered the first words he spoke. _I want you to know the truth_. But what truth? What business did he have with someone like me? Odin spoke in a pleading voice."Please, Lord Omnis, give me another chance!" he cried." _Another chance_? I am afraid that the last thing I will allow you to do is to kill the boy. I will grant you one final power. Hmph... and you have the nerve to call yourself a god." The voice was heard no more as a dark purple light glowed around Odin. I saw a speck of red glide onto him. I looked around and saw that there were many red specks. It was the Crimnson Snow _again_! "It's another Corruption Wave. We need to defeat Odin before it spreads." said the boy. I felt the need to ask him something."Excuse me for asking, but what's going on?" The boy's glasses glinted from the light of the flames. "Omnis is controlling Odin's soul. The possessed Guardian is creating a Corruption Wave, which is making everything die." I took this all in."Does that include _people_?" I asked. He nodded. "Unfortunately. That's why _we_ are here. To stop that from happening." he said. I cocked my head to the side." _We?"_ I asked. He nodded. Just then, a lightning bolt flew in between both of us. I looked back in Odin's direction. Red lightning crackled around him. The glow turned red as well. I saw him get up, and I stepped back. _Oh boy..._

( **Wrath of the White Witch I & II - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch**)

"Get ready." the boy said. I looked at him in disbelief. Did he _not_ see me holding the bear cub in my hand? Odin held his staff up as red and black lightning connected with the hawk's orb. I was going to move out of the way of what looked like a powerful attack when I was pulled upward.  
"WHAT?!" I looked around to see what was pulling me up. I saw nobody, but I still looked down. I saw Odin swing his staff around him at high speeds, a giant red trail flowing behind him. The boy jumped over it as the robot thing held the staff in place. The boy nimbly landed on the staff, then doing a back flip off of it to kick Odin right in the face. The Norse Mythological god moved back, gripping his mask. A bolt of lightning came down, striking the robot, but to my surprise, it didn't seem to be affected. In fact, it seemed to be absorbing the attack. I saw it glow the same red as the lightning itself. I looked up, expecting to see the bolt falling out of the sky, but I instead saw a helicopter. _IN A CASTLE TOWN?!_ I was being pulled up to it a steady pace. I still couldn't see what was taking me up there. Was I flying? I decided to continue looking down at the battle. The robot's now glowing fists were flying at Odin in consecutive blows. I had never seen such a thing. And to think: I could barely do so much as scratch him without losing all of my power. I started to violently shake. "What's going on _now_?!" I looked up to see nothing but light. I fell through the sky, but felt no impact. I heard something crash nearby.

I slowly opened my eyes, but it hurt to do so. I definitely wasn't on the ground. I felt the same warm-cold sensation as before, and just like then, I felt the same cold shock. I was about to get up, but I slipped and fell. I tried once more, but fell onto my belly. I then saw the ground, which was a few feet away. I tried to get up one more time, but like before, I fell down. I saw smoke coming from my left. I tried to slide around to see, but to no prevail. I saw the boy walk into my view, holding the same remote as before. He had his forefinger held on what, from where I was, looked like a blue button. "Hey, what's going on?" I demanded, as I had over three times already.  
"Do you want to get down?" he asked. I nodded, glaring at him. Big mistake. I felt myself falling once more, and I saw the ground as it collided with my face. It stung very badly until I felt yet _another_ warm-cold sensation. I got up easily, glaring at the boy.

"What was _that_ for?" I said. He put the remote in his pocket.  
"You know, I could've just let you fall from a higher elevation. I'm sure it would've hurt more, especially after that lightning bolt to the face." he said. I looked at him in disbelief.  
"Lightning bolt? To the face? What're you talking about?" I asked.  
"Well, while you were being pulled up to our safety copter, the storm struck both you _and_ the copter down. If I didn't save you, you may not have survived. So in a way, you kind of owe us your life." I didn't respond. But how could I even survive the lightning itself? Especially right to my brain? There was no way I should've been able to live through it. That reminded me- did Odin survive the robot's fury punches? I looked around for Odin, and found myself face-to-face with a burning helicopter. It must have been the one that was trying to save me. It the occurred to me that Odin was crushed by it. I felt a whole lot of relief from the thought. Now I could get Tedderp some help and- wait, where _was_ he? I looked around frantically. The boy looked confused as he stared at me. "Um, what're you doing? Odin's under the helicopter."  
"No, I'm not looking for him. I'm looking for Tedderp." I said, as if he even knew what that was.  
"You mean the bear from the fairy-tales? I'm _pretty_ sure it wouldn't be in a place like this." So he _did_ know. But I didn't know he was from fairy-tales. I didn't really even expect those stories to exist in a fictional place like this.  
"No, I mean the one I had with me. I had him while I was flying up to the helicopter." I said. The boy looked like he understood now.  
"Oh, you mean the Tedderp plush you had? It fell when you were hit by the lightning bolt." he said.  
" _Plush?_ " I asked.  
"It's basically a stuffed anim-"  
"I _KNOW_ what a plush is! What I'm saying is that he's a living animal!"  
"He didn't look living to _me_." My heart sank. My eyes started to water as I searched the area with growing panic. Tedderp was currently the only being I really knew here. The only thing I knew I could trust in this "Neo Chroniveria". If _he_ was gone, I'd have no hope of ever going home. I finally found him, but was in no way satisfied- I saw his head poking out from beneath the "safety copter". His eyes were closed, and I sensed no sign of breathing. I fell to my knees as the fire burned around him. The boy looked at me in shock. "Is that actually-" My body started to shake. No- the ground started to shake. The helicopter shook too. I just knelt there, not moving an inch. The boy shook my shoulder. "Hey, we need to go!" I just watched the flames inch closer to the poor bear. "No dwelling on the past! C'mon, let's get out of here before that's _all_ you can do!" I hear metal clanging and cracking. I heard a female voice. "Hey, wake _up_! The thing's about to blow!" I couldn't get up. There was nowhere left for me to go. I was lost in solitude as the flames started to singe his fur. I was pulled off the ground, still staring at the scene before me. I saw purple mist surround the broken helicopter. A violet orb grew inside of it, enveloping the vehicle and Tedderp. On instinct, I threw myself out of the grasp of whoever was holding me, and ran to the orb. I heard footsteps behind me as I got closer. I was an inch away when I felt tugging on my cape. I struggled to move forward with the added resistance.  
"Let... me... GO!" I swung myself around, freeing myself from the people's grip, but I saw nobody there. Strange- _someone_ had to have puled me 's when it came to me: I threw them into the orb. I heard no crash or yells. I walked into the orb, more reluctant than before.

I saw nothing but darkness. I reached my hand out, thinking that the helicopter was still there, but I felt nothing. I tried to run back out of the orb, but I saw nothing but black. Light swept through the area, and it occurred to me that I had made it back out. Of course, I didn't. I seemed to be somewhere completely different. The dull ground was cracked, and I saw pieces of it floating around. The sky was an unnatural mixture of green and yellow. I turned around to see a red silhouette, which I immediately recognized as Odin's. The strong force I felt before seemed to be pulsing through the air. No... this couldn't possibly be the Odin I saw before. I moved back as the unknown incarnation moved forward. I took another step back as it came closer. I turned and ran. Not even three seconds passed before I was forced to stop. The cliff was all that was there. I knew I wouldn't be able to jump across to the broken platforms I was stuck with Odin's silhouette. I heard strong winds above me, and I felt them too. I looked up to see two purple circles spinning in the air. They looked like the vortexes you'd see in science fiction television shows. I turned around and saw two figures ram into the silhouette. They knocked it back with their combined force, but bounced back in the process. They both landed on their feet, gripping the ground to stop themselves from sliding back. One of them was the boy from before, along with his robot and orb. The other person wore a dull, grey jacket, and had a tattered cape. I could tell it was a girl because of her hair and blue skirt. Besides that, she wore blue jeans and sneakers. She took two pistols from the sides of her pants and glared at the shadow. I heard her speak.  
"You ready Sam?" The boy responded.  
"You bet I am." The boy stood with one hand behind his back and his remote in the other. The orb floated around him as the robot got ready to pounce on the enemy. The girl reloaded her pistols as the boy, Sam, chuckled to himself.  
"Then in that case..." started the girl.  
"Let's go!" they both shouted in unison.

* * *

( **The Executor's Knight - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

The girl took no time to wait as she ran to Odin's silhouette. She raised her gun up into the air, as if she was going to bash the shadow's head with it. She stopped mid-attack when it swung its staff at her. While the enemy was open, she started shooting it rapidly, moving around to make sure it couldn't focus on her. The robot had flung itself into the red figure, knocking it to the ground. Sam pressed another button on his remote as metal expanded from his belt. The metal swung onto him as I heard a click. He now had on a suit of silver armor. He put his remote inside of a sheet of metal that acted as a pocket as the metal on his upper back flipped over and reshaped itself, turning into a helmet. The open space where the metal was before revealed what looked like to miniature rockets- they must've been a jet-pack of some sort. Sam held both of his hands out forward as the metal around his arms expanded and connected, turning into a metal cannon. I stared in awe at this amazing technology. I looked back at Odin's silhouette to see that it was having a hard time keeping up with the girl, and that the robot kept giving it a brutal beatdown.

I was about to join in the fight when I remembered that I didn't have a stick. But maybe I could use something else... A thought popped into my head. Tedderp's sword! I looked around to see where he was, and then remembered what happened to him. I thought of the helicopter. My head spun as I thought of the tragedy. But if he was absorbed into this orb, wouldn't he be in the area? I snapped out of my trance and looked around for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. I didn't see anything until... _there!_ On one of the platforms, I saw his lifeless body atop one of the floating rocks. I had to get there somehow. I then saw floating debris from the helicopter. They seemed pretty sturdy, as they were big and stayed upright- if that _was_ upright. I ran over to the ledge, ready to take a leap of faith, when a red shockwave flew over my head. It nearly hit Tedderps platform. I turned around to see Odin's silhouette frantically swinging its staff at the robot and girl. I saw a giant multicolored light inside of Sam's cannon. Odin's shadow stabbed the staff into the ground just like the real incarnation would. As if triggered by the shadow's movement, Sam shot a colorful beam of light at the incarnation. What happened next, I never would've expected. The light swirled around the shadow, making what looked like a vibrant bubble- a barrier of some sort. The girl fired another shot, but it bounced back, flying dangerously past her head. She fell back in surprise. The robot slammed his fist into the barrier, but the fist disintegrated. The robot jumped onto the top of the bubble, stomping on it in hopes of making it pop, but to no prevail. Sam struggled to dismantle his cannon. He continued to pull his arms apart until the cannon snapped in half, an explosion of color flying forward, and he fell on his back. The jetpack activated, and he slowly slid toward the cliff. The rest of the laser flew into the barrier, this time bouncing off in my direction. I ducked and turned around. The beam collided with Tedderps platform. The entire rock exploded and I shielded my eyes. I put my arms down and the rock, along with most of the surrounding debris, was gone. Tedderp was nowhere to be seen. I faced facts, and knew what had happened. I felt grief... I felt sadness... but then I felt... _fury._

I turned around, glaring at the bubble. I could hear electricity crackling from within. I walked over to the bubble. I felt the same energy I had before, except this time, I _knew_ that this would work. I held my arm back, and swung it forward. The bubble shattered like glass, but I felt no pain from it. The silhouette turned its head to me. I stepped toward it. I didn't fall. I didn't lose any energy. The incarnation took its staff out of the ground and stepped back. I started to trace a rune in the air- but I had no idea what it was. It was as if my arm knew the rune by heart, as it had no trouble creating it. I finished the rune by swiping my finger to the right. The rune glowed gold, and retraced itself slower than any spell I had ever seen before. When it got to the final line, it got even slower. When it finished, the golden orb stayed where it was instead of disappearing when it finished recreating the rune. The orb seemed to grow, soon enveloping me and Odin's shadow. I stood there, unaffected by the sight. I stepped forward toward the enemy as light filled the area. It raised its staff up to attack me, but I snatched it from its hand, throwing it on the ground, and making Odin's silhouette fall forward, onto its knees. I held its head as the staff dissolved, turning into red dust. I channeled all of my anger and pain into two words.

" _It's over._ "

The shadow turned gold, and dissolved just like the staff.

* * *

( **Music: Off** )

* * *

I held the golden mask, the only thing left, in my hand and crushed it. The golden orb started to close in on me. It got smaller and smaller until it seemed I was holding the orb. Everything else was black.

The orb then emitted a golden shockwave. Everything behind the wave regained color and life, and before long, I was back in Tonitruid- except, this time, everything seemed normal. The only similarities were that the helicopter was still there, Sam was still sliding on the ground, the girl was still on the floor, and the robot was still there with the flying orb. I looked forward to see that I was holding the real Odin's head. I felt all of his energy pulsing through my veins. He definitely had less chaos inside of him than before. I sensed no darkness. Whatever I just fought must've been the reason he was so evil. I felt extreme power as I rested my hand on his mask. The girl stared at me in disbelief, as if I had done something incredible. I looked at myself and saw: I was glowing. I had a golden aura around me- I must have been granted something by Odin. The god faded from the area as my glow faded. I felt relief and satisfaction as I took a deep breath. Unfortunately for me, I was very tired. I couldn't stop myself from falling onto the ground and dozing off.

* * *

 **And so ends another chapter of my favorite story! It took me the whole day to make this, goodness gracious! But it all works out in the end. It looks like Nolan was able to stop Odin from destroying Tonituid, and was able to survive in the process! Things are really looking up for the boy- well, of course, there's always that one problem... oh yes... _Tedderp_... oh dear... the poor cub is nowhere to be seen, and he's the only living thing that Nolan knows well enough to stay with. We'll have to see what Nolan will do now... but in the _next_ chapter. So, I hope you guys enjoyed this! I'll always appreciate any feedback you give me, and I hope to here from you soon! But, as always have an AWESOME day, and I'll see you next time!**


	6. Chapter 6 The Journey Begins

I know it's been awhile, but I haven't really had time to update my fanfiction; however, now that I'm here, I'll try to work extra hard on this chapter. Now, before we begin...

 **TheLittleK** **awaiiPen:** **Th** **anks! I would never abandon this story, of all the one's I've done. I know, without a doubt, that this one will be the best of them all, so I won't stop until it's done. I'm glad that you're still reading my stories after all this time I've been gone! Don't worry, I won't let you down. Have a nice day as well!**

Now that I've gotten responses out of the way, it's time to begin!

 **Chapter 6**

 **"My Journey Begins"**

* * *

( **W** **atched From Above - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

 _The shrouded m_ _an lifted his arm, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting... the boy has defeated the Nightmare of Odin... I thought the "Deity" would surely be able to dispose of him?"  
What seemed to be a little red-haired girl walked into the room. She opened her eyes to reveal_ _that she was indeed abnormal. Her right eye was a socket with a small_ _white glow, while the left was red with a black cross over it._ _  
"Well, I said 'maybe'." she answered.  
"Maybe... 'maybe'... 'maybe' does not solve our problem, Myah. 'Maybe' _you _should deal with him instead".Myah stuttered as she gave her reply.  
"B-but sir, I-" The man spoke a bit louder.  
"My dear_ _child, that was an order, not a question." Myah opened her mouth to interject, but instead nodded.  
"Yes sir," she bowed and exited the room. The man chuckled to himself.  
"Oh, dear Nolan... clueless as to why you are here... heheheh... but when the time is right, your life shall be taken..." he looked forward, nothing but his two reddish hazel eyes visible. They both slightly glowed.  
"And you will surely join your 'parents', as you so wish."_

* * *

( **Hero of the Kingdom - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

(Point of View Change: Nolan Smith)

I slowly opened my eyes, the sunlight burning my pupils. I made out two figures in front of me. They seemed to be talking to each other. My eyes darted around the area, surveying my surroundings. I was in a room- but not just _any_ room. This was a room in a hotel of some sort. It was strange- I seemed to have just had a dream about a hotel similar to this one, except that one was illuminated by fire. It had seemed so real... an intense fight with a powerful Deity... the death of a good friend... and the arrival of three others. My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. "Sam, he's awake!" I heard a feminine voice call. I recognized the voice- I had heard it in my dream. That's when it occurred to me.  
"He is!" a boy walked over to me, followed by a girl. Sam and the other girl, from the dream- or rather, from last night. I had just recently met these two yesterday, as they had helped me fight and defeat a man- no, the Deity- named Odin. The last thing I remembered after the fight was feinting in the Town Square. Yet I somehow appeared here. I began to wonder where I was until I saw wooden planks covering what seemed to be a hole in the wall. It was the same room I had slept in the day before, back at the Sweet Dreams Inn. "Heyo! Nice to see you're still alive!" said Sam. I rubbed my aching head as I slowly but surely sat up.  
"Um... thanks, I guess?" I replied. The girl chuckled a bit.  
"To be honest, we thought you were done for over at the Square." she said.  
"Yeah. Your skin turned pretty pale after our fight with Odin's Nightmare. I've gotta say, you lost a lot of energy after doing a number on him like that." I scratched my head.  
"What do you mean, 'doing a number on him'?" I asked.  
"Don't you remember? With that giant star thing?" It then came to me. I remembered trapping Odin's Nightmare in an orb, then making him disintegrate. That was all I remembered before I fell.  
"I remember..." Sam nodded.  
"Once you defeated him, we found this where he fell." Sam held up a rhombus-shaped crystal. It was a deep indigo color, the shining facets a light purple. In the center of the crystal was a blurred yellow object. "We wanted to give it to you, but you were asleep the past two days." _Two_ _days?_ I thought I had slept for only one, but apparently not. I got up from my bed and looked around for my cape. It seemed that I already wore my red sweater-like tunic and my khakis, but I still needed my cape. I found it on top of a shelf near the door, and wrapped it around myself. I snapped a small blue orb onto the two ends so it would stay on my neck. After then putting on my striped scarf, I was fully dressed. I then walked over to Sam.  
"May I please see the crystal now?" I held out my hand. He nodded and gave it to me. The crystal had barely touched my hand when I felt a shock throughout my entire body. I almost dropped the crystal as the slight pain ceased.

Sam and the girl evidently saw the electricity.  
"What the-" the girl started. I looked down at the gem and instantly became confused. It started to disintegrate and disappear in my hand. I looked bewildered at my palm as the crystal slowly turned to dust.  
"What just happened?" I questioned. Sam shrugged.  
"I don't know, bu-" he was interrupted by the girl, who pointed at my cape.  
"Look, there, on your cape!" she said. I went in the bathroom to look in the mirror. I gasped at what I saw. There was an indigo circle on my cape, the same shade as on the gem. There was a picture of a lightning bolt in the middle of the circle.  
"When did that get there?" I wondered. Sam rubbed his chin.  
"It surprisingly wasn't there before... _unless_..." the girl interrupted again.  
"The gem! That's gotta be it! The gem must've been absorbed into your cape somehow!" I scratched my head.  
"My question is, 'how'..."  
"Well, I guess we'll need to figure it out at a later time," said Sam, "but for now, we need to get ready." I cocked my head to the side.  
"'Ready'? For what?" I walked out of the bathroom to follow them into the bedroom. Sam turned around.  
"We're going on a quest. We need to stop all of these Corruption Waves from spreading over Neo Chroniveria. There's someone who's deliberately creating them, and we need to defeat whoever it is. We came here to investigate an anomaly before we went. The said anomaly turned out to be the incident with Odin. Our readings on the energy levels here spiked when he appeared."  
"I thought he always did that?"  
"What made you think so?"  
"The townsfolk worshipped him like he had destroyed the city before." Sam rubbed his chin once more.  
"I wonder..."  
"A- _HEM_ -" the girl loudly tapped her watch, glaring at Sam. He quickly responded, looking a bit surprised.  
"Oh, right! It's time to go. Let's leave the hotel and go find some answers to our problem!" I shook my head.  
"No, I'm sorry..."

* * *

( **Drippy - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

Sam stared at me in disbelief. "Excuse me?" I stuttered.  
"I-"  
"Speak louder, so I know for sure what you said," he interrupted. I fidgeted a bit until I looked him straight in the eye.  
"I won't go. I _can't_ go." I said. He stared in shock.  
"You see, that's not how things work around here. I tell you that we're about to save the world so people can live better, and you _agree_ with me. Understood?" I shook my head.  
"No. I need to get home." Sam now gave me a death glare. "I'm sorry. It's just... my parents are probably worried sick."  
"Look, kid, you're a wizard. We could really use your help right about now. We don't have magic to heal wounds and make giant supernovas. I'm _pretty sure_ we'll need strength like that to defeat the person behind all this destruction."  
"I'M GOING BACK HOME, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!"  
"YOU'RE GOING TO HELP US SAVE THE WORLD!"  
"BOTH OF YOU, _**SHUT UP!**_ " The girl angrily huffed and puffed, her loud interruption making us do exactly as she said. "Now, what we'll do is bring the boy along with us to defeat our enemy, and we help him get back home afterwards." Sam raised his finger in objection.  
"I disagr-"  
"That's an _order_ , Sam." The boy lowered his hand.  
"Fine..." The girl then looked calmer than ever.  
"Okay, now that we all agree, we need to get going." Everything was happening way to fast. I had no time to respond as I was led out. When we got to the lobby, we were greeted by what looked like a teenage red-haired girl wearing a similar outfit to the one the innkeeper from before wore.  
"I hope you've enjoyed your stay!" she said, handing all three of us some sort of card. "You'll always be welcomed back to our inn for free!" Sam pumped his fist in the air.  
"Sweet! Free service!" His friend rolled her eyes.  
"Let's just go." The ginger smiled as we left the building.  
"Come again soon!" she waved and Sam waved back, smiling.  
"See you next time!"  
As we walked out the door, I thought I heard her giggle to herself. I silently walked out of the door, unable to hear anything else she said.  
" **Pity... there won't _be_ ****a next time** **.** "

The girl chuckled while the innkeeper lay motionless on the ground behind the desk.

* * *

( **Hero of the Kingdom - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

We walked down the cobblestone steps as Sam spoke up. "Now that we'll be traveling together, we should formally introduce ourselves. You first." He pointed at me. I scratched my head.  
"Okay then. My name is Nolan. Nolan Smith. Nice to meet you." The girl nodded, smiling.  
"May Everheart." she said, holding out her hand.  
"Samuel Flawnless," he said, doing the same, "it's a pleasure to meet you." I shook both of their hands and nodded. I heard a semi-quiet _mmrrr_ as I looked at them both. I looked down for a second and saw a small creature shaking the Sam and May's hands as well. I recognized the creature almost instantly.  
" _TEDDERP?!"_ He turned around and nodded, saluting.  
I was dumbstruck by the sight.  
"But HOW?!" Sam looked at me.  
"Well, you see, I had to waste all of my remote's batteries bringing the guy to full help. This is one of the reasons why we needed your help so badly. Without this remote, I won't be able to take care of my own ambidweller." I nodded.  
"Well... I guess you _did_ help me out a whole lot yesterday. Fine... I'll go with you to fix up your remote." May tilted her head.  
"I thought we agreed on this already?"  
"Well I didn't. And I agree now." Sam face-palmed.  
"So we can't convince you to come to save the world, but you'll come to buy batteries? Ugh... you're one weird kid... no matter. Let's head out!"  
"Where are we going?"  
"To Hydrelian, the City of Everlasting Hydration." He said confidently. I scratched my head once more.  
"Gee, the names of these places sure are strange..."  
"You know what else would be strange?" asked May. "If we keep standing around here. Let's go!" Sam and I both had an objection to make.  
"But-" We both started in unison before May pulled us out to the gates. Tedderp glided swiftly behind.

* * *

( **Another World{World Map theme} Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

May let us go when we entered the grassland area of Neo Chroniveria.  
"Now, you see the volcano over there?" said May. I looked at the volcano and almost instantly recognized it.  
"That's Mount Ash." May nodded.  
"Correct. That will _not_ be near our destination. Our destination is in the water. I hope you guys have your bathing suits ready." I stared at her in surprise.  
" _Bathing suits?!_ "  
"What, you've never seen one before?"  
"I have, but-"  
"You don't have one, do you..." I shook my head and she sighed. She turned around and dragged us both back to the front gates. It was time to do some shopping.

* * *

( **Music:** **Off** )

* * *

And there's another chapter complete. It looks like Nolan finally has a full party, and they'll be traveling to the next town pretty soon- first, however, they must make preparations. The city of Hydrelian is an underwater metropolis, and the trio will need swim a long way to get there. Don't worry though- _you'll_ get the honor of seeing their struggles in the next chapter! I hope you all enjoyed this one, and as always: Keep being awesome!


	7. Chapter 7 The Council of Five

Hello everyone! I apologize for being gone for so long. I'm sorry, I really am; I just haven't had the time and ideas for new chapters. Luckily, however, I've thought out the basis of this entire story, so I know almost exactly everything to do here. Of course, I'm always open for suggestions. Now, without further ado, it's finally time to begin a new chapter of Nolan's Story! Oh, wait- I can't ignore traditions. Allow me to give a response to my kind viewers.

 **TheLittleKawaiiPen: Cool! I thought that May would be a great name for this character. She's outgoing, smart, and very kind. What a coincidence! I hope that May's character will allow you to enjoy the story even more!**

 **Guest: Don't you worry. Now that Nolan's getting the hang of things, things will be getting a whole lot more interesting.**

Now, let's do this! Onward!

 _ **Chapter 7**_

 **"The Chroniverian Council ~ The Five Elders"**

* * *

( **Another World(Field Theme) - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

(Point of View: Nolan Smith)

We were traversing the plains of Neo Chroniveria, prepared for almost anything. May's shopping spree should have made us bankrupt, but she surprisingly had loads of money from home. At least she payed _for_ us. As we got further from Tonitruid, the strange tower from before came into view. It had caught my eye before, but I didn't put much thought into its purpose; I was curious now, however, and so I thought that we could spare some time.  
"Excuse me, but do you know anything about that structure up ahead?" I asked, pointing to the tower. Sam nodded.  
"That is the Grand Sanctum of the Northern Isles," he replied, "a truly holy place. There, the Elders gather for reasons unknown to most. _I_ don't even know what they talk about." May nodded.  
"But we _do_ know that they are very powerful people. Their magic prowess reaches levels beyond any other. They are said to have kept peace and balance in our world for centuries."  
" _Centuries?_ The Elders have lived for that long?" I thoughtlessly interrupted. May nodded anyway, but looked at me, a bit quizzical.  
"You seem surprised." she said. That's when I remembered that she didn't know I wasn't from this world. I scratched my head.  
"I just- I've never thought much about it." I laughed nervously as May shrugged it off.  
"Well anyway, wanna pay a visit?"  
"Really? You can't be serious. You said it's a holy pl-"  
"I meant it. You don't even have a good wand. I forgot that there are some ambidwellors under the water. Besides, we can't breathe underwater anyway. We need to give you some upgrades." she said. I gulped.

We got to the large double door; Sam knocked and waited patiently. We stood there for a few seconds before the doors suddenly creaked open, gradually introducing us to the tower's blackened interior. In time, the doors opened completely, but we saw nobody there to open them. Sam and May walked in, followed by the still hovering Tedderp. I cautiously stepped inside. When we entered, the doors shut behind us, leaving us in the dark.

* * *

( **Into the Darkness - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

A deep voice boomed through the room.  
 ** _"Who_** ** _d_** ** _ares enter this place of knowledge?"_** I jumped at the sudden words. They echoed in the silence that followed. I didn't sense anyone nearby either.  
"Wh- who's there?" I asked very quietly. Someone cleared their throat, ready to speak.  
"We are humble travelers seeking your advice," I heard May's voice say, "and we would greatly appreciate your assistance."  
 _ **"Is th**_ ** _at so? Then tell me. What answers do you seek?"  
_** "We would like to speak to the Divine Elders." she continued.  
 _ **"Hmph. Then, if your intentions**_ ** _are pure, you shall pass."_** The room filled with light, revealing the room's features. The room was a semicircle, ending at the door ahead. The red carpet beneath our feet seemed to flow under the door as well. One golden chandelier glowed above us. There were no windows, but the wall seemed to have a mural on it. I couldn't even describe the colored lines, blotches, and shapes I saw, but Sam seemed mesmerized by the sight. May pointed to the door ahead, interrupting both of our thoughts.  
"We go through here." she said, walking to the door, Sam, Tedderp and I following close behind. May knocked on the door and then opened it.

* * *

( **Watched From Above - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

The moment we set foot in the new room, we were greeted by four stern faces. The three men and one woman sat in their respective chairs, glaring at all four of us when we walked in. I felt uneasy in their presence, yet I knew they could help us out very much. May took a deep breath, about to speak; she was interrupted, however, by the woman.  
"We know who you are already. You wish to gain knowledge, and power, am I correct?" she said, then looking at me.  
"I- yes." The woman then nodded.  
"Very well. Then you shall exit the door behind you." she said. Sam looks at her, confused.  
"But Ma'am, we just came out that door!  
"But did you just come out that room?"  
"Huh?" The door opened itself as we turned around. Wind pushed us inside. The light in the room was too bright for us to see anything, so we were all forced to shield our eyes.

* * *

( **The Golden Grove - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

When I opened my eyes, it didn't even look like I was in the tower anymore. What surprised me, however, was that only Tedderp was with me. I heard an unfamiliar voice in my head.  
 _Welcome to the First Trial.  
_ I looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. _Are they..._ _ **inside**_ _my head?  
Correct.  
_"Gah!" I audibly yelled. "Well, this is freaky."  
 _You shall get accustomed to this feeling. Now, for your trial... it is simple. You shall simply connect these nine holes in the ground; however, you can only draw four connecting lines across them. Your friend can help you, and you have as much time as you need.  
This shouldn't be too hard_, I thought. I looked at a flat surface of dirt, the only illuminated object in the now dark room. In the middle of the dirt was a three by three square of small holes in the ground. I recognized this challenge, but forgot the correct way to do it. "Tedderp, any ideas?" I asked. He shrugged, looking closely at the grid. I did the same. Making a square wouldn't cover the hole in the middle, so I deleted that idea from my mind. If I made a triangle that covered the whole upper right half, and proceeded to- no, I would still be missing one hole. I was beginning to get frustrated until I saw Tedderp drawing in the dirt. "I don't think we're allowed to do that." He looked at me and nodded reassuringly. He showed me words written in the stone next to the dirt. It said " _Trial 1 - Section 1: Connect the Dots. Use empty spaces in the dirt to write down your ideas and attempts. Only when you are sure you are correct will you trace on the pre-made grid._ I nodded, smiling. "Okay then. Let's see what we can do!" And with that thought, Tedderp and I began to try solving the puzzle.

* * *

( **En'en Tunnel - Yo-Kai Watch 2** )

* * *

(Point of View Change: May Everheart)

I looked around when the light faded, but everyone was gone. Nothing was left here but a dark tunnel. "What? Where am I?" I asked out loud. Just then, I heard someone talking to me.  
 _Greetings, May Everheart.  
_ I looked around, slightly growling. "Who's there?" I yelled. I saw absolutely nobody, yet I could've sworn I heard the voice of the female Elder.  
 _Welcome to the future._  
I stopped looking. I realized the voice was inside of my head. "The future? What are you talking about?! And what're you doing in my head?"  
 _This is a test. We must see how strong your willpower is._  
"But where even am I?"  
 _The future. Somewhere, far, far away... or maybe right here in the tower. The tunnel is full of surprises and mysteries.  
_ "But why am I here? Nolan's the one who needs to be tested!" I stomped as I said this, my steps echoing through the tunnel.  
 _To see if you can bear the madness._  
"So is _that_ why you dropped me off in such a dingy tunnel?"  
 _Indeed. You can either step forward or stay where you are. It is your decision, however. Time does not flow here as it does_ elsewhere.  
I took a moment to process this. "So... I'm trapped in time?"  
 _In a way, yes. You can take as long as you need here. But, I must warn you, the only available exit is up ahead._  
I nodded. "Hmph. So, I guess I'll go find it," I said, running forward, "and you'd better not be lying to me." I knew she wasn't. I could literally sense the exit. Though I couldn't see it, I knew it was a few yards away. I suddenly came across a man and his dog, a pug. I thought it was pretty weird to see someone in this place, but I decided to talk to him. I was beginning to feel lonely anyway. Before I could even say anything, he spoke to me.  
"Tell a tangled tale and the Tangler will prevail! Here's my question..." he said.  
"Um, wh-" he didn't even let me finish.  
"You're a child who loves toys... but your mother is making you throw one out. Which one do you choose?" The word "mother" made me cringe, but the guy apparently didn't see me. "An old, favorite toy? Or an exciting new one?" I thought for a moment. Worrying too much about the past could slow me down, and I always welcomed new opportunities. "I'd throw out the old favorite. You can't hold onto the past forever."  
"Aha! You're the sporting type. Good..." he held out this hand, giving me a small candy apple. I reluctantly took it.  
"Um... thanks?" I walked forward a bit, and then turned, wondering why he'd be standing there- but all I saw was a brick wall. "O...kay?" I turned around and kept walking, confused. I ran forward a bit more, and heard something up ahead. I stopped on a dime as I saw a train riding toward me. I nearly tripped as I began to run back. There was nothing but a brick wall, however. I heard a voice.  
"Hello there, young'un!" I turned to see a fine looking man with a white outfit, black pants, red tie, and a conductor's hat. I saw that the train had stopped.  
"Well, hi." I said. He smiled.  
"Were you lookin' for the Infinite Railroad?" he asked. I scratched my head. "'Cause you found it! This train's been running this route for a long time now... Our destination's a mystery, but it's a free ride! Wanna come aboard?"  
"I-" I realized that he said the train's been here for a long "time". _I thought time didn't flow here? Hmm..._ I saw that I didn't really have much choice. The train could just run me into the wall. _Or_ we could both run through the wall. It was crazy, but it could work. I looked the Conductor in the eye and nodded. "Yes."  
"How nice! Careful climbin' up the steps, now. We'll be on our way in just a minute!" he said, going to the narrow space between the train's side and the tunnel wall. I followed him. He went to the front of the train and I looked for a door to the passenger cars. I found one, slid it to my left, got in, and closed it. I didn't see anyone there, and instantly became worried. Before I could do anything, the train was in motion, and I had no choice but to sit down.

* * *

( **Synchro Drive - Final Fantasy XIII-2** )

* * *

(Point of View Change: Samuel Flawnless)

When the annoying light was done hurting my eyes and I could see, it turned out that I _wasn't_ in the same room as before. Emphasis on "I". Everyone else seemed to have disappeared. I was now in a room made of some sort of titanium alloy with an ivory coating. How could I tell what was on the outside? Well, my glasses allowed me to see the chemical makeup of any object I look at. It might sound strange, but it could prove useful at times- _very_ useful.  
 _Hello, Samuel._  
"Oh, heyo, voice from above!" I called, not even bothering to look around. The Elders had magic that allowed them to communicate with others by activating a certain part of the receiver's brain. That in turn, awakens part of the person and allows them to think better. Anyway, on with the story. My eyes happened to wander across a panel. It was turned off, of course. I heard another voice in my head.  
 _I see you have already figured out what to do._  
"That's right. I'm guessing I'm timed?" The first voice spoke once more.  
 _Indeed you are._ Suddenly, the Elder that was furthest to our left when we were still in the room appeared. He stood tall and had a dark grey beard. Even though he was elderly, I could see the twinkle in his pale green eyes. His crimson robe seemed to be made of leather, and his velvet cape was obviously made of silk. It was a stylish and comfortable combination in my opinion, especially with the fur lining on the cape. He held an orb that looked like it had an entire galaxy in it. In his other hand was a wooden cane, probably a very powerful wand made from the fabled Tree of Dust.

"It seems you are admiring my attire. How would you like to have your own?" he asked, showing almost no emotion. I beamed at the thought.  
"I'd love to!" I said. "So, do I just need to make it through a set of doors by unlocking the panels' codes?" The man shook his head.  
"We knew that such would be too simple a task for you. You will find your share of surprises along the way, I assure you. Now, your companion will show you how much time you have to complete the Trials." I nodded, holding my hand forward.  
"Let's go, Micro Orbot!" A tiny blue ball rolled off my sleeve, then hovering in the air as it grew to it's six by six inch size with a faint pop. "No need to change form for now. This wise man told me you could help me keep track of time. Is this true?" The orb, with its signature smile, did a backflip in the air, which meant, of course, "Yes". I watched as he flattened out like clay, his expression disappearing. His middle parted and added onto the edges until he was a blue ring. Two overlapping translucent black lines appeared, both of them pointing directly upward. I didn't need any Roman Numerals or numbers to be on this makeshift clock since I memorized their locations already. This saved Micro Orbot's energy and made him more efficient. I chuckled as I looked back at the man. "Ready when you are." He nodded.  
"Now..."

* * *

( **Full Speed Ahead! - Final Fantasy XIII-2** )

* * *

"Ready..." I walked over to the panel as the man prepared to start the clock. Micro Orbot's minute hand rested on where the number 6 or VI would go, while the second hand was on what would be 12, or XII. I had thirty minutes to complete the trial. _Not even a challenge._ "Go!" Not even a millisecond after he had said go was I already swiping my finger across the uncolored panel. Wherever my fingers went, the panel glowed blue. Once I had made the proper shape, which took less than two seconds, the door next to me opened. I ran through to be greeted by two more panels and one door. I swiped my finger down once on one of them, making the line glow teal, and I made an green F-like shape on the one to my right. The door slid open, and I there were four panels here. I swiped my way through them without a sweat, and moved onto the room that had eight panels in it. After that one, I needed to activate sixteen panels. Then thirty-two. It took me a bit longer to do these now that there were more panels and because of the fact that they were all over the place, some even hidden. I had gotten through the first six rooms in about a minute, but I still had many more to go through; nevertheless, I was determined to improve my hacking and code-cracking skills _and_ win a fair prize for doing so. In the end, it'd be a win-win situation.

* * *

( **Music: Off** )

* * *

So ends another chapter of our story! Nolan and co. have taken a set of trials to prove their worth, sharpen their skills, and give them access to new items and abilities! Hopefully they'll all prevail. I'll even give you guys the choice- do you want me to write more about the trials or get on with the story, starting off with the Final Trial?With Tedderp's help, Nolan can surely complete the puzzles and challenges given to him. Will May be able to escape the Infinite Tunnel? There seems to be some foreshadowing here; I'm _pretty_ sure that place is from a different game. But aside from that, Sam is now in this _very_ long hall where he must activate numerous panels to open the doors and move forward. Four of the Elders took the time to explain the Trials and are now seeing if the group has what it takes. But where is the fifth Elder?

* * *

( **Shadar, the Dark Djinn - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

The two men sat across from each other at the long table. The one candle in the middle served as the only illumination in the darkened room. There seemed to be no way in or out of the area. The men seemed to be in deep conversation, not even touching their food.  
"But what of the boy?", spoke a frail masculine voice.  
"He is not from here... that is certain..." answered the other man, who had a deep burly tone.  
"Hmph. But even so, do you think he can be... the _propheci_ -" The second speaker slammed his fist on the table.  
"Damn the prophecy! Do you mean to tell me that after all this time, you still believe in them?"  
"B-but sir, he-"  
"No... he is a normal boy. I know he will fail to stop Omnis, but he can try." The younger man gulped, his face still shrouded in the darkness of the setting.  
"But... his heart... it is almost identical to that of the _other_ boy."  
"What _other_ boy? You mean to tell me that there are _two?_ "  
"Yes, m'lord. But he lives in another world..." There was a short silence. The crackling fire was all that accompanied the stillness of the air. The older man took a sip of his tea, a short grin spreading across his face as he gently placed his cup upon the table. Though his face was still not visible, an air of danger could be sensed in the room.  
"Go on..."

* * *

( **Music: Off** )


	8. Chapter 8 The Fifth Elder

I'm back again with yet another chapter of my story! I know it's a bit late, but Happy Holidays, everyone. I hope you all got to enjoy 2016 as much as you could. It was fun, I've gotta say. But now, in 2017, I should hopefully have more enjoyable moments. To start things off, I've already got a treat of my own- I have been given a review and a message telling me how I should continue the story. We'll get to that right now.

 **LetTheTruthBeTold: Th** **anks for the awesome feedback. Glad to know you're enjoying the story. I'll m** **ake sure to skip straight to the good part of this story's section.**

Now, let's begin!

 **Chapter 8**

 _ **"The Fifth Elder"**_

* * *

( **Imperi** **al March - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

(Point of View: Nolan Smith)

We stood before the Four Elders to be judged. We had all completed our challenges, and we were to be evaluated by the Elders. I felt that Tedderp and I had completed the Trials quick and efficiently, so we would have passed. Sam looked excited, but May seemed troubled. I really did hope we all performed well. The Elder furthest to our left raised his hand up in the air to bring all attention to him. When all was silent, he put it down and spoke with a raspy, yet deep and loud voice. "You have shown admirable skills, we have agreed..." he started. May sighed with relief as Sam pumped his fist into the air. I smiled. "But you must now show your skills in combat and how well you can aid your friends, not only in normal situations, but on the battlefield as well." I nodded.  
"Yes, sir."  
"But be warned... this is no ordinary battle. This is a fight to the death. It is rare that anyone defeats the opponent." I gulped, now losing all of my confidence.  
"But then... why do I have to fight what I can't beat?" I asked, a bit scared. The Elder on the opposite side of the semi-circular table nodded to me.  
"I sense great potential in you, boy. You can perform miracles that exceed the limits of this world's possibilities." I rubbed my chin, obviously perplexed.  
"But... why me?"  
"You should ask your opponent on the battlefield." I didn't really want to fight though. I could die; I still needed to go home. It was at this moment that I wanted my parents' support. They'd know what to do. My thoughts were interrupted by my friends.  
"Don't worry Nolan, we'll protect you," said May. Sam put his hand on my shoulder.  
"Micro Orbot and I will do our best to keep you in top condition, I promise." he said, smiling. I smiled back, a bit more confident now. Tedderp gave me a thumbs up, smiling. Everyone was here to reassure me, everyone was counting on me- I refused to let them down. I nodded, looking back at the Elders.  
"We are prepared for battle." The center-right Elder shook her head.  
"No. You must take these." she said as the center-left held out a few sheets of paper. I stepped forward to retrieve them and saw runes.  
"These are... spells, correct?" I asked. The center-left Elder nodded. Suddenly, the pages began to glow with a white light and disappeared. I suddenly felt my spellbook get a bit heavier in my pocket. I opened the book to check them out and happened to see one familiar pattern. The first stroke was a zigzag, while the second was a circle around it, yet there was no name for the rune. Before I could say anything about it, however, the Elder furthest to the right spoke.  
"Use it in your most desperate time of need," he said, "and you may be able to tip the scales in battle." I nodded.  
"Thank you for your kind gifts, everyone." I said. The Elders nodded in unison. Suddenly, the entire area began swirling around me, May, Sam, and Tedderp.

( **Tension - Ni No Kuni: Wr** **ath of the White Witch** )

I saw certain colors consume the blur surrounding us until everything slowed down. We were now on a circular platform, similar to the one on which we battled Odin, except for the fact that this platform shone in the non-existent sunlight, and that there were no floating platforms nearby. In front of us was nothing until suddenly, out of nowhere, an black sphere appeared, right in front of us. It rose into the air, growing. The wind began to flow around us even quicker as the growing orb gained a dark indigo color. I began to focus more on keeping my ground, as the energy coming from the orb made the wind pick up even more. The green orb of energy around our battle field began to slightly rumble. I heard May over the wind. "What the heck is going on?" she yelled. I would've shrugged, but I was too busy shielding myself. Suddenly, the wind came to a sudden halt, giving one final push that threw us all onto the ground. I was the first to get up onto my feet and gaze at the sight in front of me. The orb stood motionless in midair for a few seconds. That's when it exploded, the darkness around it disintegrating before making contact with anything. In its place was a black silhouette that slowly gained color. He wore a mage's robe and hat, and there was an orb on the tip of his staff. In the center of the orb was a black mass that made the sphere look like an eye. I gasped as he descended. Though he didn't look nearly as powerful as Odin, I felt his energy pulsating through my body. I spoke, a bit frightened.  
"You must be our adversary." He responded almost as soon as I finished my sentence.  
"And YOU must be Nolan." he said. I gasped.  
"How do you know my-"  
"I am the Fifth Elder. I know all." Now Sam gasped.  
" _The Fifth Elder!_ Honored to be of your acquaintance, sir!"  
"Hmph. We are here to battle. Comments shall be saved for later." he said, stabbing his staff into the ground. The battle had begun.

* * *

( **The Executor's Knight - Ni No Kuni: Wr** **ath of the White Witch** )

* * *

I was already in motion as he launched a humongous fireball at me. I ran away from various elemental projectiles as I looked for a spell to use. When I found Hasten, I traced the rune in the air with my finger and was able to navigate the book and run quicker. "Prepare yourself!" I heard the Elder yell. The floor beneath us began to turn black. I felt myself slowing down, but since I already had my spell activated, I could just run normally. My friends, on the other hand, were barely able to move. May decided to shoot the Elder from afar, but she barely did damage. I turned and saw that he was only aiming for me, so I didn't need to worry about my friends at the moment. The sphere on his staff began to glow as I felt voices ring in my head. I tried my best to ignore it, but I was starting to become unaware of my surroundings. I heard my name and shook my head, coming back to my senses. The moment I did, I saw the Elder fly toward me. I dove onto the ground in front of me, feeling the velocity of his dive, even though he missed me.  
"That was close!" I said, quickly getting up. I turned, staring in awe as our opponent hovered in the air a few feet away from the platform. He now had an axe in his hand, similar to the one that Ursarage carried when he nearly killed me. I then thought of something. What if the Fifth Elder was behind this? It was unlikely, but still possible.

He charged energy in his axe, then swinging downward. What followed made me fear my life more than I had been already. Dark energy burst forward in the form of a single vertical wave. We all jumped out of the way, but the platform was still affected. The entire floor split in two, separating us. I was with May, and Sam was with Tedderp. "Are you guys alright?" I called to my two isolated friends. They gave me a thumbs up, and I nodded. May was already shooting the Elder while he was airborne, but he had his own projectiles. He threw his axe straight at May, forcing her to dive out of the way as it tore a chunk out of our platform. The moment she got up, she was pinned to the ground with ice. I flipped through all of my book's pages. I found a spell called Ignite. It seemed to be one of the newer ones, but I could still trace the rune easily. I traced it in the air, directing it toward the ice. It melted in a matter of seconds, and May chuckled.  
"Thanks, Nolan. I owe you." I chuckled back.  
"It was no problem at all!" But I had almost forgotten about the Elder. I saw that behind May, his axe was about to fly back, and she was directly in the path. "Duck!" I yelled. She did so just in time, too. It skimmed over her head, cutting off some of her hair.  
"Hey, watch it!" she yelled, reaching for something in her jacket's pocket. Sam was tampering with his remote and Tedderp began to slightly glow. I felt the platform beneath us rumble, but I couldn't question it. I narrowly dodged the incoming projectiles until I found a spell titled "Electric Bolt." I traced the rune and watched as a lightning bolt threw the Elder, in mid-attack, out of the air. That's when I felt the platform lurch to the left, making me loose my footing. Unfortunately, I was next to the ledge as well. I fell down but landed on solid ground. I felt around me, confused, and got up. The platform was whole again!  
"Great job, Nolan!" said Sam, patting me on the back. I saw Tedderp, who stopped glowing and fell onto the ground, his fur a bit pale.  
"Hey, are you alright?" I asked. He looked up at me and gave me a faint nod, smiling. I gave a smile back. Sam came over as May looked over the edge of the platform.  
"Y'know, I think he just needs some rest. It must've taken a lot of energy for him to reunite all the pieces of this platform." I nodded, holding the cub in my arms. "But other than that, we did it! We should be getting back to the tower in no ti-" There was a crash behind us as a piece of the ground exploded. The Elder was back. May glared at Sam.  
"You _h_ _ad_ to say something."

The Elder descended, landing dangerously close to Sam and I. Since we weren't so far apart, I could actually see the features in his eyes. They seemed to be orange, but instead of pupils, he had slits in his eyes. Something was off about his face as well. I almost recognized it. "Your teamwork is admirable, yet you lack strength. This is a fight to the death... and I am one of the most powerful Sorcerers in this world. If you think low tier spells can defeat me, you would be better suited jumping off of this battlefield." I was bewildered. I was not expecting the man to be this harsh. I wasn't even able to respond before he raised his reclaimed staff into the air, the eye-like orb glowing. I heard louder voices than before, but I couldn't cover my ears. Since Tedderp was in my arms, I was forced to endure the pain of the piercing screams and cries of agony. _Why is he doing this to me?!_ I thought to myself as I fell to one knee. I heard my name yelled again, but I couldn't break out of my trance. I was now on both knees, and all I could hear were screams and my own heartbeat, getting louder by the second. Suddenly, I felt a cold hand upon my shoulder and instantly opened my eyes.  
"NOLAN!" yelled Sam. I nearly dropped Tedderp as I yelled in shock. I looked at Sam, surprised.  
"What just happened?"  
"I just saved your hide, that's what! Get up!" he shouted as I scrambled to my feet. I heard loud clanging and directed my attention to an unbelievable sight. The Elder was getting battered by the large robot from before, "Micro Orbot". The robot was directing the Elder to the edge, and was ready for the finishing punch. Unfortunately for him, however, the Elder turned into dust just as he launched the attack. Behind him, a black silhouette appeared with an axe in hand. "Look out!" yelled Sam. The moment the robot tried to move out of the way, the silhouette sliced down, stopping all movement from the robot. He _b_ _ackflipped_ to dodge the following explosion. "NO!" my friend yelled. The small, smiling orb next to him fell to the ground, its eyes no longer glowing. "Dang it! I don't have enough batteries to regenerate his health right now!" I was about to volunteer to help, but I was immediately intercepted by a white silhouette that went rapid fire with its elemental projectiles. I jumped over a sharp shard of ice as I looked over at May. One grey silhouette had two axes in hand, running toward May whilst swinging _and_ launching magic attacks. This simple battle had become chaotic. I heard grunts of pain from Sam, and then a battle cry from May.  
"Stay _away_ from him!" she yelled. This wasn't good. I suddenly tripped over a boulder of metal made by the white silhouette. I dropped Tedderp, and the silhouette charged a large orb of energy in the air above it. That's when I remembered that one rune.

* * *

( **Wr** **ath of the White Witch I - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

I could only hear my heartbeat as the orb above me grew. I didn't even look in my book to trace the rune, since I already memorized it; nevertheless, nothing happened when I was finished. I then realized that I was too late to try again. The shadow cast by the energy orb was getting bigger, so I wouldn't be able to escape. I held onto Tedderp one last time, bracing myself for the worst, then realizing I'd have to let him go if he was going to survive. It was now or never. I prepared to slide him across the platform so he'd be in a safer area, but I then realized that the orb wasn't glowing at all. I saw the silhouette looking up into the sky. I did the same, despite how much I wanted to move out of the way. I saw that the supposedly cloudless green interior of our sphere was shrouded with very dark clouds. I gasped when I saw a funnel begin to snake down from the clouds. I then thought to myself. _Did **I** do __this?_ I happened to see the silhouette's head turn back to me, and I instantly tried to stand. The moment I did, it threw the orb down, a crash was heard, and I saw white. I thought about how much I wished my mother and father were here to save me as I fell to the ground.

* * *

( **Music: Off** )

* * *

Yet I could still open my eyes. I could still look around. And I was _still_ in the same area. I looked up to see a figure towering above me. The gold trimmed armor and robe could not be mistaken. In front of me was none other than Odin himself.

* * *

( **T** **aking to the Skies - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

I gasped as I saw the Deity back in action. I didn't want to deal with him though, after our last encounter; however, he spoke directly to me while glaring down at the silhouette. "I have come to your aid, sir Nolan. How can I be of assistance?" he said. I didn't know how to respond.  
"You're... you can't be serious. 'Sir' Nolan? I don't underst-"  
"You do not need to. You have restored me to my former self. I have shown you my gratitude by granting you the ability to summon me in your darkest hour. I shall help you defeat your foe..." I got up, unharmed. Tedderp was just getting up as well, thankfully. Sam watched from a distance, mesmerized.  
"Nolan, how did you-" he started. The black silhouette began running toward him, but was incinerated by a high voltage lightning bolt from Odin's staff.  
"But I will also grant you access to my One Stroke Rune." he said. I looked at him in confusion.  
"One Stroke Rune? What makes it different from any other rune?"  
"You will see." he said, then glaring at the silhouette before him. "Begone!" he shouted, holding out his orb. The silhouette was sucked into the orb with ease, Odin then looking at the grey silhouette. It was giving May a hard time, but Odin slammed his staff onto the ground. The ground from directly beneath the silhouette rose, encasing the shadow in a metal stalagmite. Odin lifted his staff into the air as lighting struck the stalagmite, making it explode. I watched in awe as the floor rebuilt itself. Tedderp was behind me, using his magic to fix any damage. I then looked up at Odin.  
"Is it possible for you to restore Sam's friend to full health?" I asked. He turned to me, nodding, and then, miraculously, Micro Orbot flew back up into the air, more lively than ever. Just in time, too. The Fifth Elder had reappeared in the middle of the arena, obviously a bit tired.

"Impressive. But still not good enough!" he shouted, stabbing the bottom of his staff into the ground. The screams from before filled my ears as the sphere glowed. Odin slammed his staff into the ground as lightning struck the Elder's staff, burning his hands and thus cancelling his attack.  
"Nolan, now!" said Odin, not even bothering to turn.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Look at the spell!" he said, draining the Elder's power with his one orb. I assumed he was talking about the spell that summoned him, so I flipped to it in the spellbook. I didn't know what I was looking for until I found it; the rune had no lines of separation as it did before. It was only one stroke-  
"The One Stroke Rune!" I traced it in the air, and nothing happened. I looked back in the book to see if I did it right, and I found that the spell had _ch_ _anged._ It was on the same page, too. Now it was an hourglass, the top and bottom pointing in diagonal directions. I traced this new spell and didn't even notice Odin doing the same.

* * *

( **Wr** **ath of the White Witch II - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch** )

* * *

The moment Odin swiped his wand for the last time, I felt the air around me change. Everything had come to a complete halt. The entire area darkened so all that was visible was me, Odin, and the Elder. The rune we had just traced appeared on the ground beneath the Elder, who was still able to move. "What?" he wondered as the rune became encased in a circular pattern. Each line in the design began to glow, illuminating the darkness. Odin became nothing more than a shadow as he disappeared. I looked around, now confused. I backed away as the Elder glared at me. I was about to run as I heard a voice- no, I saw an image in my head. It was just two words: Judgement Day. I blinked once and found myself in the clouds, heavenly light giving everything a golden tint. The Elder, who was now standing on nothing but the rune, realized he was in trouble and prepared to move. The moment he did, he literally froze in his place. I watched, wondering what was going on. I then heard the loud tick of a clock. One circle surrounded the set of runes. With another tick, one more circle appeared. Another tick. And another. I forced myself to move back, because, before I knew it, the original rune was surrounded by twelve glowing circles of the same color. Suddenly, loud, deep bells chimed as the clouds above parted, revealing a dark, star filled sky. The sky contorted, seemingly reaching down. I was now lost as to what was going on, but I didn't want any part in it. Little did I know, it would only get worse.

The sky parted from the clouds, falling in the form of a droplet. While in midair, it changed shape into what I recognized as a bird of some sort. Said bird flew straight into the ground, directly where the Elder was standing. Since he was currently frozen, however, nothing happened. The substance filled the spaces between the runes and circles. The runes began spinning around, so I assumed the circles did too. Odin appeared in the distant clouds, but he was _huge._ This must've been his true form. He disappeared, reappearing very close to our platform on the clouds. He held up his staff as a large bolt of lightning struck the Elder; it stayed, however, falling very slowly. While it was doing this, Odin swiped his crystal ball to the side. The Elder's color began to fade, leaving nothing but a statue. Odin then tossed the crystal ball into the air as it grew, slowly descending. I ran as far away as I could before realizing that it wasn't big enough to reach me. It collided with the rune, then shattering. At that moment, all hell broke loose.

The blackness inside the crystal ball shrouded the Elder, and I could see explosions inside. This was getting out of hand, and I couldn't allow it. I then yelled, which I thought was the worst idea ever. "Odin, STOP!" Suddenly, the orb imploded and I was instantly blinded, the energy throwing me back. When I came to, I was back on the battlefield, May and Sam watching as if nothing happened.  
"Wait, where'd Odin go?" asked Sam. "He was here literally a second ago." I looked forward at the Elder, who, in a flash of light, regained color. He glared at me and then raised his staff.  
"It is time we _end th-_ " His staff shattered. I heard dozens of slices as he repeatedly staggered back. His boots began to turn black as darkness enveloped him. Lightning flowed around him as he fell to his knees. "Wh- how can this..." He yelled in pain as the lightning became brighter and he received many invisible blows, each hitting him in a different place. With a final _SHING!_ he got launched into the air, then falling onto the ground, obviously defeated. I actually felt really bad, and then worried. He was one of the Five Elders who protected the world, and he... had just been slaughtered by Odin. I'd have to make sure I never called the Deity back to battle. I then felt a huge burden on my shoulders... yet, for some reason, it seemed Odin did this on purpose.

Suddenly, before we could even attempt to discuss and celebrate our victory, flames swirled around the platform. "What's going on?" I asked, looking at Sam nervously.  
"What, am I supposed to know everything now?" he replied. I was about to say something back, but immediately held myself back. The four Elders sat before us in their chairs as if absolutely nothing happened. I turned to them, chuckling with evident fear.  
"Um... we're back!"

* * *

( **Music: Off** )

* * *

Now _th_ _at's_ not the best way to confront the Elders, that's for sure. But it seems Nolan and the gang have no choice. There has to be some explaining, right? Would the Elders be alright with the fact that their fellow member was destroyed since they did nothing to prevent such? You'll find out in this next chapter... hopefully. I hope you all enjoy your day! Be awesome, as always, and I'll see you later!


End file.
